Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Justin Wilson pitches against the Braves in a game last season. Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press

The Red Sox have signed the first free agent in what is expected to be a busy offseason — and unsurprisingly, those additions have been on the pitching side as well.

Boston has reached an agreement with veteran left-handed reliever Justin Wilson on a major league contract, a source confirmed Thursday. The exact terms remain unclear. Fanside’s Robert Murray first reported the deal.

Wilson, 37, spent 2024 (his 12th major league season) with the Reds, compiling a 5.59 ERA (29 earned runs in 46 2/3 innings) allowing 55 hits and striking out 51 in 60 appearances. His 4.73 FIP was slightly better than his ERA, and he boasted a fastball that averaged 95.5 mph. According to Statcast, Wilson ranked in the 95th percentile among MLB pitchers with a 33.8% follow-through rate. He lowered his walk rate to 2.5 BB/9 after walking four batters in nine innings over his career.

Wilson has pitched for six teams since his debut in 2012 and was a part of big end deals in both 2015 (Pirates to Yankees) and 2017 (Tigers to Cubs). He underwent Tommy John surgery for the Reds in 2022, missed all of 2023 and then went to camp with the Dodgers last year before being released and returning to Cincinnati shortly before the season.

TO FILL ONE The Red Sox are hiring a former employee of their division rival from two remaining vacancies on their coaching staff.

Boston hires former Orioles pitching coach and pitching director Chris Holt A baseball source confirmed this as the bullpen coach. Holt will replace Kevin Walker, one of three major league coaches fired after the season. Walker spent five years on the major league coaching staff.

Holt’s hiring was first reported by MASN’s Roch Kubatko.

Holt, 42, was born and raised in Portland and still lives there. He graduated from Cheverus High School and attended St. He studied at St. Joseph’s College.

He spent six years in the Orioles’ organization, including five as Baltimore’s pitching director (2020-present). Three of those seasons were spent in the dugout as Brandon Hyde’s pitching coach; Holt assumes the role from 2021-2023 while continuing to oversee the pitching structure of the entire organization. He served exclusively as pitching director in 2024 when Drew French took over the role of uniformed pitching coach. In Boston, he will be pitching coach Andrew Bailey’s top lieutenant in a group that also includes pitching director Justin Willard and game-planning coordinator Jason Varitek.

Holt spent one season in the Pirates system (2002) and spent the season in low Class A after being selected in the 21st round out of Flagler College in Florida. He coached amateurs at the college and high school levels before getting a look at the Orioles in 2012 and 2013. Affiliate coaching career began in 2014; It was the first of four years he spent with the Astros affiliate before becoming Houston’s assistant pitching coordinator in 2018. He attended Baltimore. With Mike Elias leaving the Astros for the 2019 season to become the Orioles’ general manager. Holt leaves the Orioles after the 2024 season.

With Holt and new assistant coach Dillon Lawson (promoted from within) on the team, the Red Sox had an opening on the coaching staff to replace departing first base coach Andy Fox. The club is nearing the end of that search, according to an industry source, and WooSox Manager Chad Tracy is believed to be a potential candidate.

BOGGS COMPLETED HIS TREATMENT: Baseball Hall of Famer and World Series champion third baseman Wade Boggs shared an update on his battle with prostate cancer on Wednesday.

Boggs, 66, publicly announced his prostate cancer diagnosis in a social media post on September 7. He shared a positive update on Wednesday.

“Thank God! “I cannot thank my family, friends, and fans for your continued support during this difficult time. Also my amazing team at Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute,” Boggs wrote in a post to X.

Boggs played 18 seasons in MLB from 1982 to 1999 for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and then the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He earned 12 All-Star selections, eight Silver Slugger awards, five American League batting titles and two Gold Glove awards. He also won the 1996 World Series with the New York Yankees.

Boggs finished his MLB career with a .328 batting average, 118 home runs, 1.014 RBI and a .858 OPS in 2,439 games. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

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