The Boston Red Sox announced on Tuesday that they have signed 12 different players to minor league contracts for next season: Carlos Silva, Pedro Ciriaco, Brandon Duckworth, Charlie Haeger, Nate Spears, Justin Carlson, Will Inman, Doug Mathis, Tony Pena Jr., Chorye Spoone, Rich Hill and Justin Thomas. Some of these signings were previously reported, but now they're all official.
Silva is probably the most notable name here, and he was actually an effective starting pitcher as recently as 2010. The 32-year-old spent last season bouncing around some minor league affiliates from the New York Yankees, but he posted a 4.22 ERA in 113 innings with the Cubs in 2010. And equally as important, Silva's peripherals indicate that he was in fact pitching quite well, as he missed more bats than ever while maintaining his trademark command. After showing a sore lack of pitching depth last season, Boston is clearly making an effort to get some more guys into the system that can jump in and at least eat some innings.
Most of the other names on this list are still waiting to show that they can be effective in the majors. Ciriaco could see time with the Red Sox in a utility role, although he's a pretty pathetic hitter. In general, these signings are essentially to fill up the organization's Double-A and Triple-A rosters while keeping in mind the possibility of unearthing a hidden gem.