Baseball Notes: Twins pick up Pelfrey for 1 year

Mike Pelfrey once was a promising prospect for the New York Mets, a ground ball-inducing machine who chewed up innings and bats with a hard sinker that tumbled out of his 6-foot-7 frame.

He's 28 years old now, coming off of Tommy John surgery and was sitting in the free-agent bargain bin, which is where the Minnesota Twins have been shopping for starting pitchers this offseason.

The Twins agreed to terms with the righthander on a one-year, $4 million contract on Tuesday, adding him to the mix that includes Scott Diamond, Vance Worley, and Kevin Correia.

The Boston Red Sox reached a $9.5 million, one-year agreement with shortstop Stephen Drew. A person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press that Drew will take a physical before the deal can be finalized.

Boston also finalized a $4.25 million, one-year contract with 37-year-old reliever Koji Uehara.

The Cleveland Indians called upon a proven recruiter to land free- agent outfielder Nick Swisher. Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was among a group who had lunch on Tuesday at Progressive Field with Swisher, who is considering a multiyear contract offer from the Indians.

Swisher would immediately fill a hole in right field for Cleveland, which traded Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati last week and has been trying to improve a team that collapsed in August and finished 68-94.

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed righthander Roberto Hernandez, the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona. The one-year deal is worth $3.25 million.

Righthanded reliever Santiago Casilla completed a $15 million, three-year contract with the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. The deal includes a club vesting option for the 2016 season.

Oakland finalized a $6.5 million, two-year contract with Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima, filling a void created by the departures of Cliff Pennington and Stephen Drew.