Boston, MA (My Sportsbook) - The Boston Red Sox are apparently close to signing outfielder Rocco Baldelli. Several reports have stated that an announcement could come as soon as Thursday when Baldelli will receive the Tony Conigliaro Award at the Boston Baseball Writers Dinner.

The Boston Herald is reporting that the contract will likely be for one year and will not contain an option. The deal is also expected to have a low guaranteed salary, possibly under a million dollars, with a large number of performance bonuses.

Baldelli, who has seen his once-promising career beset by injuries, appeared in just 28 games last season after being diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder that slows muscle recovery and produces fatigue.

However, shortly after the season a report surfaced that new medical tests revealed that Baldelli in fact has channelopathy, a non-progressive, highly treatable disease.

Baldelli, a native of Rhode Island, batted .263 with four home runs and 13 RBI down the stretch for the Rays and was part of the teams' remarkable run to the World Series, where they eventually fell to Philadelphia.

The 27-year-old Baldelli had a .200 average in the postseason but came up with some big at- bats in the League Championship Series win against the Red Sox, hitting .333 with a crucial three-run homer that helped seal a victory in Game 3 and an RBI single that plated the go-ahead run in Tampa Bay's 3-1, series- clinching Game 7 victory.

Baldelli is a career .281 hitter with 52 home runs and 234 RBI in 447 games for the Rays.

Injuries, though, have ravaged his career, as Baldelli missed the entire 2005 campaign with knee and elbow injuries, was limited to 92 games in 2006, and missed the final 124 games of the 2007 season with a hamstring injury.

Baldelli is expected to be Boston's fourth outfielder, backing up Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew.