Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein made a bold move to upgrade his bullpen while managing to avoid giving out a three-year deal to a reliever, a notion he detested. While setup men continued to receive three-year contracts, including two right-handers on the Red Sox's radar screen, Matt Guerrier (Dodgers) and Jesse Crain (White Sox), Epstein swooped in and reportedly agreed to a contract with Bobby Jenks, who had served as White Sox closer since bursting onto the scene as a rookie sensation in 2005 but was nontendered earlier this month by Chicago. The deal for Jenks, as first reported by ESPN's Buster Olney, is for two years and $12 million, pending a physical, and gives the Red Sox a power arm to go along with Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard. Jenks, according to Olney, will also be given a chance to compete to be Red Sox closer after next season, when Papelbon is eligible for free agency, though Bard still figures as the odds-on favorite for the job if Papelbon moves on. The Red Sox also made other moves to add to their bullpen depth. They came to terms with left-hander Andrew Miller on a minor league deal after nontendering him just weeks after acquiring him by trade from Florida for lefty Dustin Richardson. The move to nontender him was a financial one, as Miller was arbitration-eligible, and while terms were not disclosed, they are favorable to the former No. 1 draft choice from North Carolina if he makes the big league club. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5926886
