The Red Sox have replaced Jed Lowrie's spot on the roster by signing Nick Punto to a 2-year, $3.5 million deal according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. This move follows the earlier trade of Kyle Weiland and Jed Lowrie to the Astros in exchange for Mark Melancon.

Heyman reports that the deal is $3 million guaranteed with $500k in incentives, and argues that the Sox see Punto as essentially the same as Jed Lowrie (at least in dollars), so they believe they're getting the same player back but alos pick up a reliever. If so, it could be quite shrewd.

Jim Bowden reports that Boston will now focus on pitcher Joe Saunders:

• Twitter / @JonHeymanCBS: nick punto agrees to #reds ...
  "nick punto agrees to #redsox deal"
• Twitter / @JonHeymanCBS: hearing punto will get abo ...
  hearing punto will get about $3.5M for 2 years from boston.

• Twitter / @JonHeymanCBS: punto deal is $3M guarante ...
  punto deal is $3M guaranteed plus 500 grand in incentives. sounds like a lot. but guy is a winner.
• Twitter / @DKnobler: Punto takes Jed Lowrie's s ...
  Punto takes Jed Lowrie's spot on Red Sox roster

• Twitter / @JonHeymanCBS: #redsox thinking: lowrie/p ...
  redsox thinking: lowrie/punto $ is close to a wash (jed shd get about $1.75M in arb) and they add melancon. very sound.

• Twitter / @JimBowdenESPNxm: Nick Punto signs with the ...
  Nick Punto signs with the Red Sox for 2-year $3m deal...Sox chasing Joe Saunders next

• Nick Punto signs with Red Sox - CBSSports.com
  "Punto, 34, hit .278/.388/.421 for the Cardinals last season, but that was in the small sample of just 166 plate appearances. His career on-base percentage is just .325, though, so signs point to that .388 mark being a bit out of character. Still, he has value in being able to fill in at those three positions, especially with Marco Scutaro (36) getting up there in age and Kevin Youkilis having recently battled injury woes (no more than 136 games played since 2008)"

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