Boston Red Sox Ink Bobby Kielty

You all remember it: 

Game 4 of the 2007 World Series.  The Boston Red Sox, on the brink of their second championship in four years, are leading the Colorado Rockies 3-1 with pinch-hitter Bobby Kielty coming to the plate to face the southpaw Brian Fuentes. 

Kielty, who was acquired from the Oakland A's, played in 20 games for the Sox, batting .231 with one home run and nine runs batted in.  Kielty was picked up by the Red Sox largely because of his ablity to hit left-handed pitchers.  He was placed in the lineup in the ALCS to face C.C. Sabathia and went 2-5.

In the most important at-bat of Kielty's career, his only World Series at-bat, he knocked a home run into the leftfield stands to give the Red Sox a 4-1 lead.  The Red Sox went on to win the game 4-3 thanks to the homer.

The 31-year-old will be back with the Boston Red Sox, signing a one-year, $800,000 deal with incentives that can push the contract up to $1,100,000.  This is a non-guaranteed contract, meaning Kielty must make the team in Spring Training.

Kielty is a versatile outfielder who can play all three outfield positions.  He will be used coming off the bench, giving rest when needed to OF's Manny Ramirez, Jacoby Ellsbury, and J.D. Drew.  

The signing gives the Red Sox a fourth outfielder, should they trade CF Coco Crisp. 

Crisp, who last year was the starting centerfielder despite batting just .268 last year, was ousted for the starting spot in the World Series by 24-year-old Jacoby Ellsbury. 

Reports indicate that Ellsbury will be the starting CF for the Red Sox in the 2008 season, and why not?  In 33 late-season games Ellsbury posted a .353 batting average, three home runs, and was 9 for 9 in steal attemps.

If a deal for Crisp is going to happen, it will most likely occur before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.

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