Red Sox sign veteran RHP Brad Keller to one-year contract

Six days after the Chicago White Sox designated veteran right-hander Brad Keller for assignment, the Boston Red Sox signed Keller to a one-year contract on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Keller, 28, made the decision to become a free agent. In his one and only season with Chicago, which ended on May 18, he threw in five games (two starts) and went 0-2 with a 4.86 ERA, six walks, and thirteen strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings.

From 2018 to 23 he pitched for the Kansas City Royals, recording a 38-53 record over 150 games (114 starts) with one save, a 4.27 ERA, 303 walks, and 506 strikeouts in 679 innings worked.

The Red Sox optioned right-hander Zack Kelly to Triple-A Worcester in a matching move. Kelly, 29, has made 11 relief appearances and is 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA, 10 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings.

Keller will be deployed as a long reliever, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Right-hander Garrett Whitlock, who informed reporters on Saturday that he will miss the rest of the season to undergo elbow surgery, is one of the team’s injured pitchers.

“(Keller has) got good stuff, it’s interesting,” Cora remarked on Sunday. “And where we’re at right now, obviously using Chase (Anderson) for four innings two days ago and then Zack (Kelly) for three innings (Saturday), we’re kind of short in that aspect.”