<TABLE width="100%" align=center><TBODY><TR><TD class=vaLabel vAlign=top rowSpan=5 width=100 align=middle>
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Report: Sox, Beckett close to 4-yr, $70M deal </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Josh Beckett - S - BOS - Mar. 31</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox are "closing in" on a four-year deal worth around $70 million for right-hander Josh Beckett.
Heyman expects the agreement to be made official sometime next week. It's a nice deal for both sides, because the Red Sox weren't forced to cross the five-year threshold as they did with John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka, and yet Beckett is still being paid handsomely at $17.5 million per year. The 29-year-old went 17-6 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 199 strikeouts last year and will serve as Boston's Opening Day starter this season.
Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter
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</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Report: Sox, Beckett close to 4-yr, $70M deal </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Josh Beckett - S - BOS - Mar. 31</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox are "closing in" on a four-year deal worth around $70 million for right-hander Josh Beckett.Heyman expects the agreement to be made official sometime next week. It's a nice deal for both sides, because the Red Sox weren't forced to cross the five-year threshold as they did with John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka, and yet Beckett is still being paid handsomely at $17.5 million per year. The 29-year-old went 17-6 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 199 strikeouts last year and will serve as Boston's Opening Day starter this season.
Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter
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