BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury went to the New York Yankees. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is gone, too. The Boston Red Sox began rebuilding for their World Series title defence Wednesday when they signed free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year contract. "Its not every day you get a chance to play for the defending World Series champions. Looking at what they have coming back, theres definitely a chance to do it again," Pierzynski said in a conference call with reporters. "It was a place that you always want to go to because they win and they try to win every year. When they called, it was hard to say no." A two-time All-Star, Pierzynski will take over for the switch-hitting Saltalamacchia, who agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday at about the same time the Yankees pried Ellsbury away from their rivals with a seven-year, $153 million contract. "We wish Jacoby well," general manager Ben Cherington said. "He was obviously a real good player here. He was a big part of two World Series teams and we would have loved to keep him. But we felt that there was an area or range that we were willing to go to, and the market just went past that." The best candidate to replace Ellsbury in the Red Sox system is Jackie Bradley Jr., who batted .189 in 37 games in the majors last year and .275 with 10 homers in 80 games at Triple-A Pawtucket. Cherington said it was too early to say whether there would be other candidates brought in through free agency or trade. "We feel good about some of the in-house alternatives, and one of those is certainly Jackie Bradley," Cherington said. "We feel fortunate that Jackie is in our organization, and we will feel good that he is playing centre field, if thats the way it works out." Pierzynski, who has played for four teams over parts of 16 seasons, said he talked to several former teammates who were on the Red Sox this year, including David Ortiz, Matt Thornton and Jake Peavy. He also bumped into Mark Kotsay while on vacation in Hawaii. "They all said, If you get an opportunity to come, youve got to take it," Pierzynski said. "Every person I talked to has had a positive experience there. I was grateful that Ben reached out and gave me an opportunity." Saltalamacchia had been a solid catcher in Boston. But his last play in a Red Sox uniform was the ill-advised throw to third base that led to the obstruction call against Will Middlebrooks, which gave the St. Louis Cardinals a victory in Game 3 of the World Series. David Ross took over, and the Red Sox went on to win the Series in six games -- their third title in 10 years. Both catchers were also a big part of the clubhouse chemistry that was helped erase the stigma of the fried chicken and beer collapse of 2011. Pierzynski has a mixed reputation in baseball -- including a conflict with Peavy that the two say is long behind them -- but his own teammates usually defend him. "(He has) the reputation across the field of not being the best guy," Boston manager John Farrell said on WEEI-AM. "But there are guys you get that feel from across the field and then when they get in your dugout, you love him. He was on board with everything. The bottom line is he wants to do nothing more than one thing: win." Pierzynski, a left-handed hitter, and Ross, a righty, will both be 37 next season. The Red Sox have two catching prospects in the minor leagues, Christian Vazquez in Triple-A and Blake Swihart in Single-A. "What were looking at is a short-term situation that really points toward Vazquez and Swihart, that are coming," Farrell said. "That doesnt mean that in 2015 Vazquez is a starter, but it gives us the flexibility that if he makes another good step in the minors the next year, its the potential that a guy could step in." Cherington also said his goal was to make the 2014 team stronger without hindering flexibility in the future, an outlook that made a one-year deal for a veteran catcher more attractive than the three years Saltalamacchia got. "We really appreciate everything he did," Cherington said. "If reports are accurate, were happy for him that he gets a good deal. We wish him well, but we feel like A.J. is the right fit for us right now." Pierzynski batted .272 with 17 homers and 70 RBIs last season with Texas -- the 13th season in a row in which hes caught at least 110 games. In his career with the Twins, Giants, White Sox and Rangers, Pierzynski is a .283 hitter with 172 homers and 800 RBIs, with a .322 average in 33 games at Fenway Park. "The combination of A.J. and Ross will allow that to be a position of strength for us, as it was this year," Cherington said. Pierzynski has caught two no-hitters, including Philip Humbers perfect game April 21, 2012. He made the All-Star Game in 2002 and 06 and won the World Series with the White Sox in 2005. He has a .300 career average with five homers and 17 RBIs in the post-season. Nike NBA Jerseys China . The Raptors general manager has his list of possible draft selections whittled down to a handful ahead of Thursday nights NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York. The Raptors, who have auditioned dozens of players over the past couple of weeks, have the 20th overall pick in the first round, as well as the 37th and 58th picks in the second. NBA Jerseys China .com) - Rajon Rondo turned in a game-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists as Dallas claimed a 102-98 win over the Lakers on Friday. https://www.nbachinajerseys.us/.com) - The Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with running back Jackie Battle on a one-year contract Friday. Fake NBA Jerseys . The Jets have now won three straight at home and four of the last five at the MTS Centre. After a scoreless first period, Brad Marchand scored his first goal in eight games eight seconds into the second. Discount NBA Jerseys .Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton each homered and had an outfield assist, and the Braves held on for a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night. ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright bolted out of the dugout before the bottom of the ninth inning. No way was the St. Louis Cardinals ace coming out of this one. Wainwright persuaded manager Mike Matheny, a former four-time Gold Glove catcher who handled the right-handers warmup tosses before the ninth, to finish the game. Then he put the finishing touch on his NL-leading 15th win and fifth complete game for a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night. "Hes our horse," Matheny said. "Those are the kind of statements your ace loves to make. That was his game." Wainwright joked that the manager was out there to "size me up a little bit," and Matheny said the pitches had plenty of heat. "I like to do that, let them know that Im not tired and ready to battle for those last three outs," said Wainwright who had a key sacrifice fly. "Its always good to do that and I feel like our team needed it." Matt Hollidays 432-foot home run off Kris Medlen (10-12) snapped a sixth-inning tie for St. Louis, which took the first two games of a four-game set against the NL East leaders. Having already thrown 101 pitches, Wainwright was allowed to bat with the one out and the bases loaded in the seventh inning and hit a long sacrifice fly off Scott Downs for his third RBI of the season to make it 3-1. He then retired the side in order in the eighth and worked around a one-hit single to Chris Johnson in the ninth on a night when the Cardinals didnt have their closer. Edward Mujica was unavailable for the second straight game with back and neck pain that he believed was caused by working two innings three straight times. He felt much better after visiting a chiropractor, played catch before the game and said hed be ready Saturday. "I feel good but I didnt want to force it today," Mujica said. "Im much better than two days ago." Medlen singled to lead off the sixth and scored on Freddie Freemans second hit of the game and retired 12 in a row at one point. But he allowed Hollidays 17th homer on a liner deep into the left field stands. Hes lost his last two times out, including a relief appearance in a 15-inning game, and wasnt pleased about geetting taken out after 78 pitches.dddddddddddd "I thought I was cruising pretty good," Medlen said. "I hadnt had to battle yet but I wasnt given the opportunity, so I guess Im voicing the fact that I didnt appreciate that." The Cardinals lost three in a row at Atlanta to start a seven-game losing streak in late July that knocked them out of the Central lead and entered the night a game behind Pittsburgh. Wainwright (15-7) took one of the losses in that series, but the Brunswick, Ga., native is 7-2 against the Braves. Wainwright allowed a run on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts, passing injured teammate Chris Carpenter for third on the franchise career list and putting him just six behind Dizzy Dean for second, and he has 16 career complete games. Hes worked seven or more innings seven straight starts and retired 10 in a row at one point. Yadier Molina had three hits with a pair of doubles to raise his NL-leading average to .337, five points ahead of the Johnson, who had a pair of singles. Molina doubled and Jon Jay singled to open the seventh and chase Medlen. Downs got a brief reprieve earlier in the inning when a wild pitch ricocheted back to catcher Brian McCann. The Braves Justin Upton was ejected in the sixth for arguing with home plate umpire Paul Nauert after a groundout. He believed hed been tossed because hed cursed himself leaving the box and "heard something I didnt say." "To be honest, if I cant get frustrated with myself and say what I want to myself, then its really sad," Upton said. "I have no clue what he heard and its just sad." NOTES: Braves SS Andrelton Simmons made an outstanding sliding catch on Kolten Wongs foul popup in the second. ... B.J. Upton snapped an 0-for-25 slump with a single in the second. ... Wainwright tied his career best for complete games in a season, also throwing five in 2010. He threw a season-high 128 pitches, second most in his career. ... Molina is batting .419 (13 for 31) with seven doubles in seven games since coming off the 15-day disabled list from a knee injury. The Cardinals are 6-1 in that stretch. ... Freeman is 12 for 27 (.444) during a six-game hitting streak. ' ' '