BOSTON -- The Red Sox may not yet have themselves a bona fide closer, but they surely don't lack for candidates.

The club yesterday reached agreement on a deal with right-hander Joel Pineiro for one year with a player option for 2008. The contract will pay Pineiro $4 million in 2007, and signifying the Sox' plans for him, it includes an additional $2 million in incentives for games finished.

The deal is expected to become official later this week when Pineiro completes his physical.

Over his seven-year major-league career, Pineiro has been used almost exclusively as a starter. Of his 185 major-league appearances, just 37 have come in relief. He won 30 games between 2002 and 2003, but slumped miserably in the last three years, compiling a 21-35 mark. In 2005, he allowed the second-most earned runs in the American League and finished third in that category last year. He owns a 58-55 career mark and a 4.48 E.R.A.

Pineiro, 28, was non-tendered by the Seattle Mariners last month, making him a free agent.

He will join a number of pitchers in Fort Myers, Fla., next month competing for the closer's role. The Sox used Jonathan Papelbon for that job last year, and he recorded 35 saves as a rookie, but concerns about the stability of his shoulder joint have forced the Sox to shift Papelbon back into the starting rotation and created a hole at the back end of the bullpen.

Along with Pineiro, the Sox may look at Julian Tavarez, Devern Hansack, Runelvys Hernandez, Brendan Donnelly and Craig Hansen -- among others -- to close out games. Hernandez, Donnelly and Pineiro have been obtained in recent weeks as the Sox re-tooled their relief corps. Pineiro has just one major-league save in his career, but his stuff may translate better to late-innnig relief work.

The Sox also have been discussing potential trades for Pittsburgh's Mike Gonzalez, Texas' Akinori Otsuka and Washington's Chad Cordero, but to date, the asking price has been too high in each case.

The Rangers want major-league starters with little or no service time, something the Sox lack beyond Jon Lester, who is recovering from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Washington, meanwhile, has demanded several of the club's best pitching prospects in return for Cordero, and the Sox have yet to match up with the Pirates for the left-handed Gonzalez.

Previously, the Sox considered bids for free-agents Eric Gagne and Octavio Dotel. Both are coming off surgery and were deemed risky by the Sox. Gagne signed with Texas while Dotel chose Kansas City.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340