The Red Sox Nation  

The Red Sox made a move to bolster their starting rotation Tuesday with the acquisition of veteran right-hander Paul Byrd from the Indians in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations. Byrd is 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA this season but he's 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. The loss of Tim Wakefield to the disabled list and struggles of Clay Buchholz created a need for starting pitching.

Byrd has a career Major League record of 104-91 in 330 games/242 starts with the New York Mets (1995-96), Atlanta (1997-98; 2004), Philadelphia (1998-2001), Kansas City (2001-02), Los Angeles Angels (2005), and Cleveland (2006-08). He has won 10 or more games five times, including four of the previous five seasons (2002-07). Byrd has issued just 2.12 walks per nine innings in his career, the sixth lowest figure among active pitchers with at least 1,500 innings. He was a member of the 1999 NL All-Star Team with the Phillies.

Byrd established career bests for wins (17), starts (33), innings (228.1), and strikeouts (129) with Kansas City in 2002. Last season, he was 15-8 with a 4.59 ERA in 31 starts for the AL Central Division champion Indians and led the AL with a ratio of 1.31 walks per nine innings. Byrd was 2-0, 3.60 in his two postseason starts, including a 7-3 victory over the Red Sox in Game 4 of the ALCS on October 16 in Cleveland. He also won the fourth and deciding game of the ALDS on October 8 at New York.

HOUSTON SMITH'S VIEW:  Short-term solution.  Should help Sox reach post-season play in 08.  Skills are average at best but capable of big games.