The Red Sox avoided arbitration with reliever Heath Hembree and agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million contract.
Jon Heyman of FanCred.com and the MLB Network was first to report the deal.
Hembree, who turns 30 in January, appeared in 67 games (60 innings) for the Sox in the regular season, going 4-1 with a 4.20 ERA and 76 strikeouts while allowing 53 hits and 27 walks in his fifth season in Boston. The right-hander was originally left off the postseason roster but was added when Steven Wright couldn't pitch as he recovered from knee surgery.
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Hembree appeared in all three series, working a total of 4 2/3 scoreless innings, walking five and striking out three.
Late last month the Red Sox agreed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal with another arbitration-eligible reliever, Tyler Thornburg.
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Jan. 11 is the deadline to exchange salary arbitration figures. Other arbitration-eligible Sox are Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Eduardo Rodriguez, Brock Holt, Matt Barnes, Wright, Blake Swihart, Sandy Leon and Brandon Workman.
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