BOSTON – An official with knowledge of the deal said the Boston Red Sox have signed first baseman Lyle Overbay to a minor league contract.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

If he makes the Boston roster out of spring training, Overbay would share duties with Mike Napoli.

Overbay is a career .270 hitter with 133 homers and 581 RBI in a 12-year career with the Blue Jays, Braves, Brewers, Diamondbacks and Pirates.

WHITE SOX: Chicago claimed first baseman Lars Anderson, a former Sea Dog, off waivers after he was cut by Arizona last month.

Anderson, 25, played six games for Boston last year and went 1 for 8. He hit .250 with nine homers and 59 RBI in 111 games for Triple-A Pawtucket and Columbus.

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Anderson was traded July 31 to Cleveland and the Indians sent him to Arizona in the December deal that sent a pitching prospect, Trevor Bauer, to Cleveland. The Diamondbacks designated Anderson for assignment Jan. 24.

METS: New York agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Marlon Byrd, who served a 50-game suspension last season after testing positive in June for a performance- enhancing drug while he was a free agent.

An NL All-Star in 2010, Byrd was traded April 21 from the Chicago Cubs to Boston, which released him June 12. Two weeks later, MLB announced he tested positive for Tamoxifen, which can reduce side effects of steroid use and increased testosterone.

Byrd hit .210 in 47 games for Boston and Chicago last season, and has hit .278 in 11 big league seasons with 82 homers and 445 RBI.

REDS: Left-hander Manny Parra agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract.

In addition, the Reds agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Miguel Olivo.

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Parra, 30, had spent all five of his big league seasons with Milwaukee. After missing 2011 with back and elbow injuries, he went 3-10 with a 5.06 ERA last year in 16 starts and 26 relief appearances.

CARDINALS: Left-hander Marc Rzepczynski agreed to a $1.1 million, one-year contract and avoided salary arbitration.

Rzepczynski, 27, can earn an additional $50,000: $25,000 each for 70 and 75 appearances.

He was 1-3 with a 4.24 ERA in 70 games last year, when he made $501,000. Eligible for arbitration for the first time, he had asked for $1.3 million and been offered $900,000 when figures were exchanged last month.

BREWERS: With Corey Hart out at least until the end of April after knee surgery, Mat Gamel is going to get another shot to show the team he fits into its long-term plans.

Gamel would have rather earned his spot in the lineup but he’s ready to prove his value.

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“It’s terrible,” Gamel said of Hart’s injury. “But now I have an opportunity again.”

In a role reversal from 2012 when Gamel tore a knee ligament after 21 games and Hart moved to first base from right field, Gamel should open the season at first to fill in for Hart.

Hart said surgery went so well he’s already begun rehabilitation. He said he’s going to have an MRI in three weeks and if all is well it’s “realistic” he could be ready to play by the end of April, nearly a month ahead of what was projected.

“If it takes a little longer, then mid to end of May, but I feel good about end of April,” said Hart, who had surgery a week ago, “So basically like 2011, when I came back and hit 26 homers in five months.”

Gamel is hoping to use the time to show he belongs in Milwaukee.

Once the organization’s top prospect, Gamel exceled against minor league pitching, hitting .304 with 105 home runs and 503 RBI in seven seasons.

At the major league level, however, Gamel has been unable to duplicate that success, hitting .229 with six homers and 29 RBI in 106 games in parts of five seasons.

 


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