The Red Sox have inked pitcher Jason Alexander to a minor league contract, as reported by MLB.com’s transactions tracker. Alexander, who turns 31 this Friday, made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2022, pitching 71 2/3 innings across 11 starts and seven relief appearances. During this time, he recorded a 5.40 earned run average, with a modest 14.3% strikeout rate but a solid 50.6% ground ball rate and a near-average 8.7% walk rate.

However, Alexander faced setbacks last year, sidelined in spring due to a shoulder strain, starting the season on the 60-day injured list. Although activated in July, he was then demoted to the minors, eventually being removed from the 40-man roster. In Triple-A, he pitched 55 1/3 innings with a 5.86 ERA, a 13.8% strikeout rate, a 7.5% walk rate, and a 46.1% ground ball rate. He later opted for free agency after the season.

Throughout his career, Alexander has maintained a consistent performance profile, characterized by a low strikeout rate, minimal walks, and a propensity for inducing ground balls. In the minors, he holds a 4.75 ERA over 407 1/3 innings, with a 19.3% strikeout rate, a 6.4% walk rate, and a strong ground ball tendency.

The Red Sox, aiming to bolster their pitching staff after a team ERA of 4.52 last season, made modest moves in the offseason, signing Lucas Giolito while trading away Chris Sale. They’ve also made minor additions such as Cooper Criswell, Greg Weissert, and Isaiah Campbell.

Alexander will vie for a roster spot alongside other non-roster players like Joely Rodríguez and Lucas Luetge. Should Alexander join the roster, he still retains a couple of options and less than a year of service time.