Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said Wednesday that Andrew Bailey (lat) is ready to face hitters. Bailey has made steady progress since suffering a minor lat strain early in camp. He threw a bullpen session Tuesday without incident and it's possible his next step might be a live game. "Bailey is ready," said Valentine. "He threw the bullpen. The next time might be to a hitter, but it might be batting practice. We're going to see how he feels. He might want to jump right into a game. He's pain-free and feels like he's throwing the ball fine." The 27-year-old right-hander is a bit of a health risk given his history, but he should be a valuable fantasy closer with Boston.

Andrew Bailey (lat) said he had a "real good" bullpen session Saturday. The closer was originally scheduled for a bullpen session Sunday, but evidently it was moved up a day. The Red Sox expect Bailey to be ready to appear in a Grapefruit League game sometime this week. He should be an elite fantasy closer this season in Boston as long as he can stay healthy.

Andrew Bailey (lat) is expected to be ready to appear in a Grapefruit League game sometime next week. Bailey will play catch Friday, long-toss Saturday and throw a bullpen session Sunday. He already had a bullpen session Thursday and didn't have any issues, so it appears the minor lat pull is pretty much behind him. The 27-year-old is in line to close games for the Red Sox this season.

Andrew Bailey (lat) threw a bullpen session Thursday. Bailey had been limited to flat-ground work since suffering a minor lat pull last weekend. The 27-year-old right-hander should have no problem playing catch-up this month and readying himself for the start of the 2012 regular season. He's a superb fantasy option at closer this year.

Andrew Bailey (lat) played long toss from 120 feet on Monday afternoon in Red Sox camp. Bailey suffered a minor lat pull over the weekend while performing vertical leap drills. He's expected to get back atop a mound later this week and should be close to 100 percent when Grapefruit League play gets underway.

Andrew Bailey has been limited the last few days after suffering a minor lat pull while going through vertical leap drills. Bailey is expected to be able to resume full workouts on Monday, so it sounds like it's no big deal. Acquired via trade this offseason from the A's, Bailey will handle the ninth inning for the Red Sox this season. He's posted a 2.07 ERA over his first three major-league seasons.

The Red Sox and RHP Andrew Bailey avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.9 million contract. Bailey requested $4.7 million and was offered $3.35 million when arbitration figures were exchanged last week. It didn't take long for the two sides to agree somewhere in between. Bailey, acquired this offseason from the A's, will serve as Boston's closer in 2012.

Andrew Bailey requested $4.7 million and was offered $3.35 million from the Red Sox when arbitration figures were exchanged Tuesday. Bailey, who was acquired from the Athletics in late-December, is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter after posting a 2.07 ERA over his first three major-league seasons. Look for the two sides to settle somewhere around $4 million.

Red Sox acquired RHP Andrew Bailey and OF Ryan Sweeney from the Athletics for RHP Raul Alcantara, 3B Miles Head and OF Josh Reddick. A nice debut trade for new Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington. Alcantara, Head and Reddick all have promise, but the likelihood of any one of them becoming a serious major league contributor is slim. Bailey has a 2.07 career ERA through three big league seasons and is under team control through 2014. He should be a reliable closer in Boston and might even be an upgrade over Jonathan Papelbon if health is on his side.

Buster Olney of ESPN.com writes that Athletics' closer Andrew Bailey will likely be traded to the Red Sox or Rangers. Olney notes that both clubs have interest and the proper chips needed to complete a deal. The Red Sox acquired Mark Melancon from the Astros earlier this month while the Rangers signed Joe Nathan in November, but both clubs continue to look for ways to improve the back-end of their respective bullpens. Bailey, 27, is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and under team control through 2014.