The pitching-starved Boston Red Sox acquired Cleveland Indians’ starter Paul Byrd in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Boston’s rotation has been weakened by an injury to Tim Wakefield (15-day DL) and the struggles of youngster Clay Buchholz.
The Red Sox are awfully familiar with Byrd.
Byrd was at Fenway Park for Game 7 of last year’s American League Championship Series on the day the San Francisco Chronicle reported he had used human growth hormone from 2002 to 2005. He then said before the game that he had used HGH for a medical condition but that he never injected the banned drug without a doctor’s prescription.
“I have nothing to hide,” Byrd said about two hours before Game 7, in which Boston clinched the ALCS with its third straight win. “Everything has been done out in the open. I have a reputation. I do not want the fans of Cleveland or honest, caring people to think that I cheated.
“Because I didn’t.”
Byrd is 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA this season, but he’s been outstanding since the All-Star Break, going 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA. Byrd will be a free agent at the end of the season, so the Tribe did a nice job getting something in return for the 37-year old vet.
