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After a strong campaign with the Red Sox, Scott Atchison is close to selecting a new ballclub. The 36-year-old right-hander expect to put pen to paper on a minor-league contract for a club that is not the Boston Red Sox, according to MLB.com's Evan Drellich.
The Red Sox did not tender Atchison a contract this winter, likely due to the sprained UCL ligament he sustained during his 2012 campaign. The sprain cost Atchison 55 games and a stint on the 60-day disabled list, though he did return to Boston at the end of the year to finish the season strong.
The righty does have a history of right elbow sprains and strains, which will likely be a red flag for whichever team elects to sign him.
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Atchison pitched well when healthy in 2012, posting his best-ever campaign coming out of the bullpen for the Red Sox. In 51⅓ innings, the northpaw posted a 1.58 ERA and 2.68 FIP, cutting his walk totals from 1.8 batters per nine innings to 1.6 and upping his strikeout rate from 5.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 2011 to 6.3 whiffs in 2012. In addition, he cut his hit rates, allowing just 7.4 hits per nine innings compared to 9.2 H/9 in 2011.
Since Atchison only has three full years of service time, the club that signs him will have him under team control until 2016.
