Choi picked up off waivers for depth at first

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox claimed former Dodger Hee Seop Choi off waivers yesterday, inexpensively adding depth at first base.

Choi does have an option remaining, meaning he can be sent to Triple A Pawtucket without having to pass through waivers. General manager Theo Epstein said that is where Choi will begin the season, ''barring another move." Another way of putting that: Choi will begin the year in the minors, unless J.T. Snow or Kevin Youkilis is dealt.

''We've liked him for a while," Epstein said. ''We see this as an opportunity to acquire him when his value is down a bit. We like his power, his patience, and his hands at first base. He provides depth at first and in a way depth at third, given Youk's ability to play both positions."

The Korean-born Choi, who turned 27 this month, hit .253 last season (the highest mark of his four-year career), matched a career high with 15 home runs, and knocked in 42 runs, in 320 at-bats. He's never had more than 343 at-bats in a season.

Choi belted six of those 15 home runs in a three-game series against the Twins in June, becoming only the 12th player to accomplish that feat. He hit three in one game, prompting the next day's Los Angeles Times headline to read: ''Three-Sock Joy." In fact, Choi homered that day on three consecutive Brad Radke offerings -- an 0-and-1 pitch in the first inning, and the first pitches he saw in the fourth and sixth innings.

Defensively, Choi is known to have capable hands and footwork but little, if any, lateral range.

Choi's contract calls for a base salary of $725,000. He can be cut by Wednesday and be paid only $158,000, but, Epstein said, ''We didn't claim him to cut him."

Yesterday, speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Choi said, ''I am shocked. I played for my country in the [World Baseball Classic], and I thought I would come back and make the team. I'm sad because I liked this team and my teammates."

But, he also said, ''This is good for me because I want to play a lot. I'll have more chances to play at Boston. I think the Dodgers have a lot of players. Last year and this year were very difficult. Last year I played every day at first base. This year I was a backup and a pinch hitter."

Curt Schilling, in his next-to-last spring start, threw 109 pitches yesterday, the most by any pitcher on the staff this spring. He threw 14 straight strikes to begin the game, and 82 strikes overall, pitching to Baltimore's Triple A affiliate at City of Palms Park. By day's end, he'd worked seven innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, striking out 10, and walking none.

He labored in his final inning but finished impressively. He needed 12 pitches to record the first out of the seventh, gave up a homer off a palm tree, then reached back to get the final two outs via strikeouts on tailing fastballs.

''I felt very, very strong at the end of the game," said Schilling, who gets the ball Opening Day in Texas in a mere nine days. ''That's one thing I'm very, very excited about. That certainly wasn't my limit."

He said he made a mistake on the home run, throwing a fastball down the middle. His slider, he said, ''is probably the pitch I'm having the most time getting down to righties. The other hits were fastballs in fastball counts."

But, when asked if he ever felt as strong last year as he did yesterday, Schilling said, ''No, this is no comparison to anything last year."

''I'm ready," he added. ''If my next start were Opening Day, I'd feel very comfortable with where I'm at."

The Sox managed only two hits against Rodrigo Lopez and three Baltimore relievers, losing, 2-0. Lenny DiNardo, who is likely to make the team as a seventh reliever until April 12, when David Wells joins the rotation, pitched effectively, allowing four hits but no runs over four innings. DiNardo's spring ERA is 1.86 . . . Tony Graffanino went 0 for 3, slipping to .182 (6 for 33) . . . Jason Varitek, who caught Schilling in the minor league game, went 2 for 6 with a walk.