AP source: Red Sox, pitcher John Lackey reach tentative agreement on 5-year contract

AP source: Lackey, Red Sox agree to 5-year deal

BOSTON — A baseball official with knowledge of the negotiations says John Lackey and the Boston Red Sox have reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract.

The deal is worth $16 million to $17 million a season, the official said on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet final.

Lackey, the top pitcher on the free-agent market after eight seasons with the Angels, was in Boston for a physical on Monday needed to complete the agreement, the official said.

The addition of Lackey would give the Red Sox an especially strong rotation that includes Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.