Lyle Overbay to sign with Red Sox

Former Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay has agreed to terms on a minor-league deal with the Red Sox that will pay him $1.25 million if he makes the team. He'll apparently have a good shot at a bench job.

That Overbay's career continues, two years after his disastrous half-season with the Bucs, continues to be a great mystery. In 2011, he looked like he'd be one of those Jeromy Burnitz or Joe Randa types who collects a nice little retirement package from the Pirates and then sails off into the horizon. And then, you'd have thought, Frank Coonelly and Bob Nutting would have a chat with Neal Huntington about how you shouldn't give a player $5 million just because he looks like you. And that would have been it. But no. Overbay hasn't played much since he left Pittsburgh, but when he has, he's made the most of it, posting a good 50 at-bats down the stretch for Arizona in 2011 and then hitting pretty well for them again in 2012 before being released and joining the Braves.