After three months, the Boston Red Sox have admitted what baseball fans have known all season – that their bullpen needs help.
Heading into the 2019 season, the biggest question surrounding the Boston Red Sox involved their bullpen. While they had kept most of their championship roster from 2018 together, the loss of Joe Kelly in free agency, coupled with their disinterest in retaining Craig Kimbrel, left the late innings as a major question mark.
Those bullpen woes have manifested thus far this season. Understandably, general manager Dave Dombrowski is reportedly looking to improve the bullpen before the trade deadline, a move that has been months in the making.
Unrelated to this game, but Red Sox are quietly surveying the market for pen help. Rivals expect them to upgrade by deadline. Two things to keep in mind: 1. Red Sox are over the threshold so tax applies, 2. GM Dave Dombrowski has always preferred hard throwers.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 29, 2019
Overall, the Red Sox bullpen has not been horrible. Their 4.17 ERA ranks 13th in the majors, and they have struck out the second most batters of any relief corps. Opponents have mustered a mere .236 batting average against the Boston Bullpen, the eighth best mark in the game. In theory, the Red Sox bullpen has been good enough.
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Yet, there are troubling signs. The Red Sox have blown 16 saves, trailing only the Mets this season. Boston relievers are also throwing the most pitches per plate appearance of any bullpen in the majors, leaving one to wonder how long they will be able to continue to find success.
That is especially true with the trio of relievers that have been tasked with the ninth inning. Ryan Brasier has been solid as the primary closer, but his FIP is 4.41, substantially higher than his 3.27 ERA. Likewise, his proclivity for the longball, with five homers in 31.1 innings, is troublesome for a team that needs every win they can get.
Matt Barnes, meanwhile, has the opposite problem. His overall numbers have been mediocre, but his peripherals indicate that his performance should be much better. Brandon Workman has been solid overall this season, but does not fit the profile of the typical closer.
This desire to improve the bullpen may have come to a head after the London Series. In a two game set where the ball was flying as though it was in a higher altitude Coors Field, Red Sox relievers allowed a total of 20 earned runs over 12.1 innings. It is hard to rush to any conclusions over a two game set, particularly one in such a different environment, but that may have been all Dombrowski needed to see.
The Boston Red Sox are reportedly on the hunt for bullpen help. This move had been a long time coming, despite what the statistics would indicate.