RICHARDS HEADS TO RED SOX ON A ONE-YEAR DEAL

The Red Sox hot stove has progressed from a simmer to something approaching a boil.

ESPN reported a fifth offseason signing for Boston on Saturday afternoon. Righthanded pitcher Garrett Richards agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal for the 2021 season.

The former Angels and Padres starter joins Martin Perez and Matt Andriese among the candidates for the Red Sox rotation. The Boston Globe reported the club also will hold a $10 million option on Richards for the 2022 campaign.

Richards, 32, made 14 appearances and 10 starts with the Padres in 2020, helping the club reach the postseason. He finished with a 4.03 earned-run average and struck out 46 in 511⁄3 innings. Richards features a slider, curveball and a four-seam fastball that has averaged 95.5 mph over the course of his 10-year career.

Major injuries have prevented Richards from capitalizing on his strong raw stuff for any extended period. He suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee in 2014 and a torn ulnar-collateral ligament in his right elbow in 2016.

Richards put off Tommy John surgery until late in 2018 and ultimately moved from Los Angeles to the Padres.

Richards enjoyed his most productive seasons with the Angels in 2014 and 2015. He made a combined 58 starts and finished 2816 with a 3.18 ERA.

Boston already was set to enter spring training with a pair of significant health questions, as Chris Sale (left elbow) and Eduardo Rodriguez (myocarditis) haven’t thrown a pitch since the 2019 campaign.

Boston reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with former Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernandez late Friday night and signed outfielder Hunter Renfroe to a one-year contract in December.

Notable

Ryan Zimmerman and the Nationals made it official Saturday, announcing his $1 million, one-year contract. The deal came after the Nats’ longest-tenured player opted out of the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.

• All-star outfielder George Springer finalized his $150 million, six-year contract with the Blue Jays, becoming the most prominent free agent to reach an agreement this offseason.

• The Astros traded left-hander Cionel Perez to the Reds for minor league catcher Luke Berryhill.

• The Cubs finalized a $1.5 million, oneyear contract with catcher Austin Romine.