Kelly's defined role for 2017 will be as a reliever, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

EDGE Analysis

After five years of tempting both the Cardinals and Red Sox as a potential starter, Kelly made the transition to full-time reliever during the second half of last season. The right-hander struck out 21 while allowing just two earned runs in 17.2 innings out of the pen. He and his high-90s fastball will be called on mostly for seventh-inning duty.