January 17, 2012
Sox sign Ellsbury to one-year contract
by PR/Wire Report/
The Boston Red Sox have agreed to terms with outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, infielder Mike Aviles and left-handed pitcher Franklin Morales on one-year, non-guaranteed contracts for the 2012 season, thus avoiding salary arbitration. Terms were not disclosed.
Ellsbury, 28, was named American League Comeback Player of the Year and finished second in AL MVP voting after batting .321 (212-for-660) while setting career-highs with 46 doubles, 32 home runs, 119 runs, 105 RBI and 52 walks in 158 games with the Red Sox last season. He led the Majors with both 364 total bases and 83 extra-base hits, and also ranked among American League leaders in hits (third), runs (third), doubles (tied for third), stolen bases (fourth, 39), average (fifth), OPS (fifth, .928), home runs (tied for fifth), slugging percentage (sixth, .552) and RBI (tied for sixth).
A first-time All-Star in 2011, he was just the fourth player in Major League history to accumulate at least 200 hits, 30 home runs, 100 RBI and 35 stolen bases in a season, and the first Red Sox ever with at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a single campaign. He also received his first Silver Slugger and Rawlings Gold Glove Awards after the season.
The 30-year-old Aviles was acquired by Boston from Kansas City on July 30, 2011 and hit .317 (32-for-101) in 38 games for the Red Sox while making appearances at third base (22 games), shortstop (eight), second base (seven), right field (four) and left field (one). The right-handed batter combined for a .318 clip (27-for-85) overall against left-handed pitching between the Royals and Red Sox last year.
Morales, who was acquired by the Red Sox from the Rockies on May 19, 2011, appeared in a career-high 50 games overall last year between Boston and Colorado, and also set career marks in innings pitched (46.1), strikeouts (42) and holds (10) while compiling a 3.69 ERA (19 ER/46.1 IP). The 25-year-old lefty pitched in 36 games for the Red Sox out of the bullpen and held opponents scoreless in 28 of those contests.
