Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington confirmed that the Red Sox have signed veteran righthander John Maine to a minor league deal and invited the pitcher to spring training.
Maine hasn't pitched in the big league since 2010 after undergoing shoulder surgery. Maine, 30, sports a 41-36 record with a 4.35 ERA in seven seasons spent with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets.
He spent last year at Triple A Colorado Springs, going 1-3 with a 7.43 in 11 starts.
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"We're going to give him an opportunity to come and pitch as a reliever," said Cherington, "and see what he looks like. He's a guy who's had a lot of success in the big leagues. He's battled injuries but we think he's on his way back. We'll see what he does in spring training. We're looking forward to working with him.
"Other than that, we have no expectations. We just have to see what we have in spring training."
Cherington said Maine's velocity has returned to the low 90s.
"We'll see how he bounces back," said Cherington. "We'll see how he does when he gets into spring training. But he's had success in the past. We'll get to him know him better."