As expected, the Red Sox made official their offer of salary arbitration to free agents Jason Bay and Billy Wagner. Both are Type A free agents, meaning that if either signed with another club after declining the offer of arbitration, the Red Sox would receive two compensatory draft picks (one in the sandwich round between the first and second rounds, the other as high as a first rounder from the team that signs the player).

Bay is certain to receive a multi-year contract this offseason, and so there is no chance that he would accept arbitration. Wagner told WEEI.com during the season that he would decline arbitration (even though he likely could make more money through arbitration than as a free agent) because he prefers to sign with a team for whom he might close.

Even so, there is a chance that the market for Wagner’s services could be chilled by the Sox’ offer of arbitration to the left-handed reliever. With other potential closers on the market who will not require a signing team to part with a draft pick (Fernando Rodney, Octavio Dotel, Brandon Lyon), potential suitors might turn to those pitchers rather than Wagner, particularly given the left-hander’s age (38) and health concerns (he is the oldest known pitcher to return from Tommy John surgery).

That said, Wagner is also one of the best closers of all time, with 385 saves and a 2.39 lifetime ERA, and his numbers after returning to the mound in August 2009 (1.72 ERA, 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings) might convince a team to invest a draft pick in him. That could prove particularly true if Wagner is looking for fewer years than the other elite relievers who are on the market this offseason: Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano and Jose Valverde, all of whom, like Wagner, are Type A free agents who were offered arbitration.

The Sox declined to offer arbitration to outfielder Rocco Baldelli, right-handed pitcher Paul Byrd and infielder Chris Woodward. None of the three were Type A or Type B free agents who would yield a draft pick to the Sox if they were to sign with another club.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Red Sox manager Terry Francona said that pitcher Paul Byrd will be available out of the bullpen for the Red Sox during their American League Division Series against the Angels. Reliever Manny Delcarmen, however, will not be a member of the roster. Byrd pitched three innings of relief on the final day of the season, allowing two runs to finish his year with a 5.82 ERA. Delcarmen struggled to an 8.59 ERA after July 28.

Francona also said that the Sox are still determining who will contribute off the bench. Among the group of outfielders Rocco Baldelli, Brian Anderson and Joey Gathright, two will be on the roster for the ALDS.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona provided a number of updates about potential reserves for the postseason roster. The newest and likely most significant development was that outfielder Rocco Baldelli, after leaving Friday’s game with discomfort in his hip, is feeling “pretty tender” and “was hurting” when he arrived in the Fenway Park clubhouse today.

Baldelli will probably have to wait until Monday to undergo further tests, potentially including an MRI, but his availability for the start of the postseason could be in some question depending upon the results. Outfielders Joey Gathright and Brian Anderson will both be traveling with the Sox to Anaheim on Monday night for the start of the Division Series. Gathright seems all but certain to have a postseason roster spot regardless of Baldelli’s health; the right-handed Anderson, meanwhile, could become an option for the roster if Baldelli is limited.

Other relevant developments in the formulation of the playoff roster:

SHORTSTOP

–Alex Gonzalez’ X-rays today revealed that there was no fracture in his right hand. That came as a significant relief to both the shortstop and his club.

“To get hurt like that, be out for the season, it would be frustrating, especially since we’re going to the playoffs,” said Gonzalez. “That’s what I live for: the team in the postseason, trying to win the World Series. Thank God it didn’t happen.”

Gonzalez planned to take some swings on Saturday, and hopes to play on Sunday. That diminishes slightly the brief sense of panic that could have crept into the team’s calculations regarding its shortstop position.

–The backup role still seems a bit of an open question, however, with Nick Green seemingly unavailable, Jed Lowrie still somewhat limited (“We don’t want to see too much of Lowrie,” said Francona, suggesting that the team is still trying to measure his playing time) as he continues to rebuild strength following his April wrist surgery and Chris Woodward away from the club to be with his wife after she delivered the couple’s third child.

RIGHT FIELD / LEFT-HANDED OUTFIELDERS

–Sox manager Terry Francona said that J.D. Drew is fine, and will play tomorrow. Presuming he comes out of that game without a hitch, Josh Reddick will be sent to Fort Myers to stay fresh in case an injury requires the Sox to add him to the roster later in the postseason. If Drew has a setback, then Reddick would travel with the Sox to Anaheim as an insurance option.

CATCHERS

–George Kottaras will travel with the club to Anaheim, but seemingly in a non-roster capacity. Unlike previous years, where the Sox were inclined to have three catchers to maximize their roster versatility, it appears that the team will have just two catchers this year. While Kottaras will travel with the team in the postseason, catcher Dusty Brown will head to Fort Myers to stay sharp.

PITCHERS

–Paul Byrd said that he will be in the Red Sox bullpen both on Saturday and Sunday, but he did not think it necessary for him to gear up for a potential postseason bullpen role by making an appearance in the next couple of days.

–Michael Bowden will also head to Fort Myers to stay sharp. Pitchers Dustin Richardson, Hunter Jones and Fernando Cabrera will all head home.

–Junichi Tazawa will also travel with the Sox to Anaheim, spend the first two games with the club (“We want him to experience a little bit of what we’re doing,” said Sox manager Terry Francona, “and what he can hopefully be a part of”) and then fly back to Japan, his first professional season concluded.

NEW YORK — Paul Byrd absorbed the loss for the Red Sox in Sunday’s 4-2 setback in New York, and so his record after six starts stands at 1-3 with a 5.81 ERA. Yet those numbers may be at least somewhat misleading. 

On Sunday, for instance, Byrd left the game with the Sox leading, 2-1, two runners on base and two outs. But reliever Takashi Saito allowed both inherited runners to score, resulting in a loss for Byrd and Boston. 

Byrd may have made his last start of the regular season on Sunday. The Sox are 3-3 in his six starts. The right-hander said that he was extremely pleased with the way he was throwing the ball, even if disappointed in his results.

“[Sox pitching coach] John Farrell has got me twisting, rotating a little bit more. It’s been phenomenal for me,” said Byrd. “I’m throwing the ball upper 80s. I threw 90 two times the last game (a start last Tuesday against the Royals) in the sixth inning. On teams past, I hit 90 and we throw a team party. My velocity is up. My location is up. I feel like no one is squaring the ball up too often.”

Byrd started a game in which the Sox beat the Angels at Fenway Park. He also pitched well enough for the Sox to beat the Yankees in their home park. 

Based on his performance, Byrd is hopeful that he might have an opportunity to continue to contribute for Boston in the postseason, most likely as a long man in the bullpen (a role that Byrd served for the Sox in the ALCS last year). He acknowledges that the Sox have a deep and talented staff, but the 38-year-old – who is 3-1 with a 5.40 ERA in eight career playoff appearances – believes he would be a useful arm.

“Can I help the team in the postseason? Absolutely. Do I have the experience? Absolutely. Am I throwing the ball well right now? Yes, I believe so, despite giving up a few runs,” said Byrd. “I’m here to help out in any way I can. If that means I cheerlead the first series and get ready for the second series, or if it means vice versa, I’m here to help this team win in any way I can and get a ring. That’s just the bottom line.”

Paul Byrd (1-1, 5.79) has never been a fan of pitching at Kauffman Stadium, nor has he particularly enjoyed squaring off against his former team, the Kansas City Royals (62-88). In his journeyman career, Byrd owns a 10-13 record with a 5.20 ERA in 28 starts on the mound in Kansas City. Opposing the Royals, Byrd has not fared too much better going 1-5 with a 5.74 ERA, though he has collected a complete-game shutout in one of the outings.

After having their three-game win-streak snapped last night in a 12-9 comeback defeat, the Boston Red Sox (89-60) aim to regroup one day after rookie Daniel Bard (2-2, 3.72) was tagged with his third blown save of the season.

In the loss, however, Sox outfielder Jason Bay managed to launch his career high 36th home run of the season into the stands while catcher Victor Martinez extended his career-best hitting streak to 20 games.

For Byrd, the Kentucky native makes only his fifth start since signing with the Sox at the beginning of August. In his last outing, Byrd hurled 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball scattering nine hits and one home run against the Los Angeles Angels last Friday. Since winning his first start of the season, Byrd has struggled in going 0-1 with an 8.53 ERA.

The Royals, however, have struggled as an offensive unit this year, especially when AL Cy Young candidate Zack Greinke has taken the mound. Despite having a major league best 2.14 ERA, Greinke has only 14 wins to his name and 8 losses.

Looking to gain his 15th win on the year and solidify his entitlement to being crowned the Cy Young winner, Greinke opposes the Red Sox for the first time since 2007. In three career games (2 starts) against the Red Sox, Greinke has yet to tally a victory with an 0-2 record and a 3.45 ERA. The Sox are one of three A.L. teams (along with the Royals and the Rays) against whom Greinke does not have a win.

Spending his entire career with the Cleveland Indians before being dealt to the Red Sox in July, Martinez has enjoyed success against the former first-round draft pick. In 42 plate appearances, Martinez has beaten up on the righty hitting .342 with a .405 OBP including one home run.

After last night’s win, the Royals have bumped their September record to 11-3 moving out of the basement of the AL Central one game ahead of the Indians. Now, with Greinke needing only 20 strikeouts to surpass the Dennis Leonard’s single-season team record, the Royals will look to delay Boston’s opportunity to clinch the AL Wild Card as the magic number sits at seven.

Paul Byrd vs. Royals’ batters

David DeJesus (24 career plate appearances) .435 AVG/ .458 OBP/.652 SLG, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Mark Teahen (16) .400/.438/.467, 1 walk

John Buck (14) .214/.214/.429, 1 home run, 1 strikeout

Yuniesky Betancourt (13) .231/.231/.231

Alex Gordon (6) .333/.333/.667

Miguel Olivo (5) 1-for-5

Willie Bloomquist (3) 1-for-3

Brayan Pena (3) 0-for-3, 1 strikeout

Alberto Callaspo (2) 1-for-2

Zack Greinke vs. Red Sox batters

Victor Martinez (42 career plate appearances) .342 AVG/.405 OBP/.447 SLG, 1 home run, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts

J.D. Drew (7) .429/.429/.571, 1 strikeout

David Ortiz (7) .143/.143/.286, 3 strikeouts

Nick Green (6) 1-for-5, 1 walk

Jason Varitek (6) 1-for-6, 1 home run, 1 strikeout

Kevin Youkilis (5) 0-for-4, 1 walk

Mike Lowell (4) 3-for-4, 1 double

Dustin Pedroia (4) 1-for-3, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Rocco Baldelli (3) 1-for-3, 1 strikeout

Joey Gathright (3) 2-for-3, 1 triple, 1 strikeout

Casey Kotchman (3) 0-for-2

Brian Anderson (1) 1-for-1

A month ago, the odds sprawled across the boards of the crowded Vegas casinos most likely would have favored potential Cy Young candidate Roy Halladay to earn his 14th win of the season over 38-year-old righty Paul Byrd. In fact, a month ago, Byrd was still pitching to 13 year-old little leaguers before receiving an unexpected call from the Red Sox inquiring whether or not he would like to sign with the team and take the mound a few weeks later.

Byrd did not hesitate and immediately inked a minor league deal. He made a pair of starts in the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League, moved on to an assignment with Triple A Pawtucket where he made two rehab starts before facing off against Halladay on August 30. Remarkably, Byrd picked up the win, going six shutout innings, surrendering six hits and three walks while striking one.

Now, with the Red Sox riding on a hot streak winning 12 of their last 16 games, Byrd looks to continue the sizzling run as the Kelsey Grammar double opposes Freddy Garcia and the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field at 8:11pm tonight to open a four-game series.

The White Sox have fallen out of the playoff race this week after losing eight of their last eleven on the road and trading away slugger Jim Thome to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Garcia still is searching for his first win of the 2009 season.

Released by the New York Mets in early April after failing to secure a spot in the rotation, Garcia signed a minor-league contract with his former Windy City team in June. Since then, Garcia has struggled in his three major league starts with the White Sox, going 0-2 with a 5.94 ERA. One of those starts included an impressive performance against the Sox in a no-decision, as Garcia went 6 1/3 inning, while allowing three earned runs at Fenway on August 25.

In his career, Garcia has seen some success against Boston, as he owns a 6-2 record with a 4.74 earned run average in 14 starts.

Byrd, who spent time with the Cleveland Indians before arriving in Boston last season, also has had his share of success against Chicago. In 18 career starts, Byrd owns an 8-3 record with a 4.43 ERA including two complete games and one shutout.

Although he sports a winning record, several White Sox players have hit Byrd well in the past. In 38 at-bats, first-baseman Paul Konerko has batted .316 with one home run against the pitcher with the old-school wind-up, while former Red Sox Mark Kotsay posts a .464 average with a stellar .531 OBP in 28 at-bats versus the soft-spoken Byrd.

Since knuckleballer Tim Wakefield’s status for tomorrow’s scheduled start is still dependent on how he feels today, the Red Sox hope that Byrd can reproduce the efficient start he compiled against the Toronto Blue Jays last week. With only a few weeks left in the regular season and the uncertainty surrounding Daisuke Matsuzaka’s return and Josh Beckett’s recent woes, Byrd has the chance to step up and contribute to the Red Sox’ playoff run.

White Sox vs. Paul Bryd:

Paul Konerko (39 career plate appearances against Byrd) .316 average/ .333 OBP/ .447 SLG, one home run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

A.J. Pierzynski (37) .212/ .278/. 242, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Mark Kotsay (33) .464/.531/.750, 2 homers, 4 walks, 1 strikeout

Jermaine Dye (30) .179/.233/.571, 3 homers, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

Alex Rios (24) .167/.167/.542, 2 homers, 2 strikeouts

Scott Podsednik (16) .357/.438/.357 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

Josh Fields (7) .000/.143/.000 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Carlos Quentin (6) .333/.333/.333, 1 strikeout

Alexei Ramirez (5) 1-for-5

Red Sox vs. Freddy Garcia

Jason Varitek (31 career plate appearances against Garcia) .300 AVG./.323 OBP/.500 SLG, 1 homer, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

Victor Martinez (30) .217/.400/.478 2 homers, 6 walks, 1 strikeout

David Ortiz (25) .174/.240/.391, 1 home run, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts

Rocco Baldelli (10) .222/.300/.222, 2 strikeouts

Joey Gathright (10) 0-for 9, 1 sacrifice fly, 4 strikeouts

Kevin Youkilis (9) .111/.111/.111, 2 strikeouts

J.D. Drew (7) .333/.429/.500, 1 walk

Jason Bay (6) 0-for-5, walk, 2 strikeouts

Nick Green (6) 1-for-6, 2 strikeouts

Mike Lowell (6) 2-for-6

Casey Kotchman (5) 0-for-4, 1 walk

Alex Gonzalez (4) 0-for-4, 2 strikeouts

Jacoby Ellsbury (3) 1-for-3, 1 strikeout

Dustin Pedroia (3) 0-for-3

When Paul Byrd signed with the Red Sox in early August, he signed a split contract that compensated him modestly while in the minors, but that paid him a pro-rated annual salary of $1.25 million for whatever portion of the 2009 season he would spend in the majors. After being called up on Sunday and delivering six shutout innings, and assuming that he remains in the big leagues for the rest of the year, Byrd would seem set to earn roughly 20 percent of that total, or roughly $246,000 in base salary.

On top of that, the 38-year-old also will receive the following incentives for his starts down the stretch:

$25,000 each for his first, second and third big-league starts

$50,000 each for his fourth through seventh starts

$75,000 each for his eighth through tenth starts

Also, as Rob Bradford reported on Sunday, Byrd said that he did not have any guarantee of a September call-up when he decided to sign with the Red Sox.