McGair: Dusty Brown signs minor-league pact with Pirates

December 1, 2010

Scratch another catcher off the Red Sox’ list, as Pittsburgh inked Dusty Brown to a minor-league deal Wednesday. Brown was perceived a long shot to return to Boston in 2011 – he was out of options and removed from the 40-man roster – but his chances were thought to have improved after Victor Martinez signed with Detroit last week.
Instead, Brown gets a fresh start. Drafted by the Sox in 2000, Brown made his major-league debut in 2009. He appeared in 13 games with Boston over the past two seasons, batting .267 with a .313 on-base percentage and one home run.
A chance to make a favorable impression with the Sox arose last summer when Martinez and Jason Varitek landed on the disabled list within days of one other, but at the time Brown was on the DL. Brown tailed off dramatically with the PawSox in 2010, hitting just .195 after the all-star break on his way to a woeful .218 with an on-base percentage of .311.
“I don’t want it to be the end. I’ve been here for 10 years and this is the only thing I’ve ever known,” said Brown to Blackstone Valley Sports in September. “I don’t want to have to start over with a new team, but if that’s what happens, that’s part of the game.”