BOSTON (AP) Veteran reliever Hideki Okajima and the Boston Red Sox have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.75 million, one-year deal on Thursday.

The left-hander was 6-0 with a 3.39 ERA last year, his third with Boston after coming to the major leagues from Japan. In all, he is 12-4 with six saves and a 2.72 ERA with the Red Sox.