On the first day of free agency, the Red Sox added to their pitching depth on the cheap, claiming 26-year-old reliever Robert Manuel off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

Manuel, a righty, made his major league debut with Cincinnati this season, pitching 4.1 innings of scoreless relief over three games. He was subsequently traded to Seattle for Wladimir Balentien, and spent the rest of the season with the Mariners’ Triple-A Tacoma affiliate.

Manuel came into 2009 ranked as the 27th-best prospect in the Cincinnati system, according to Baseball America. He relies heavily on an 88-90 mph fastball, and a compact and deceptive delivery, while mixing in a changeup and slider. He is a late convert to pitching, spending his high school and junior college years as an infielder.

First signed by the New York Mets as a non-drafted free agent in 2005, Manuel owns a 24-17 record with 19 saves and a 2.88 ERA over 169 minor league starts. He has 339 career strikeouts vs. only 66 walks in 368.1 minor league innings.

The Sox 40-man roster now stands at 32 players. -- Dan Barbarisi