Saturday was not one to remember for Boston’s bullpen, which surrendered 11 earned runs in a 17-13 video game loss to the Yankees. Red Sox relievers still rank between seventh and 11th in the majors in FIP, K/BB ratio, win probability added and ERA, though it appears president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will try to upgrade the improve before the July 31 trade deadline. The team’s Dombrowski-led front office has been “quietly surveying the market” for bullpen upgrades, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Fortunately for Boston, there should be no shortage of relievers available over the next month. Tigers closer Shane Greene, whom Dombrowski acquired a few years ago as Detroit’s general manager, figures to be one of them. Three Giants relievers – Will Smith, Tony Watson and Sam Dyson – as well as White Sox closer Alex Colome are a few more who could be attainable. The Pirates (Felipe Vazquez), Padres (Kirby Yates) and Indians (Brad Hand) could make their closers available, but given the weakness of Boston’s farm system, it might not have the prospect ammunition to win a bidding war for any of those coveted arms.
Having lost closer Craig Kimbrel to free agency, the Red Sox have been operating with a ninth-inning committee this season. Ryan Brasier, Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman have combined for 14 saves, though their success rate has been low, evidenced by 12 failed conversions. As for their individual performances, Brasier has managed a 3.24 ERA despite worrisome peripherals. Barnes has been the opposite, someone whose secondary numbers vastly outshine his ERA. Workman has been good all around, though he has walked upward of six batters per nine. Fellow late-game option Marcus Walden – who leads Red Sox relievers in innings (44) – has also enjoyed an effective season, as has Heath Hembree.
While Hembree has been down since June 14 with a sprained elbow, indications are he isn’t too far from a comeback. Hembree’s return will be a welcome one for the Red Sox, but it doesn’t seem he’ll be the only reinforcement their bullpen lands in the coming weeks.
lowtalker1
They cannot afford good relief pitchers lol
pasha2k
I’ll believe it when I see it. Yest the Blow-pen was at a new low, showing the entire world their failings.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
They warned us it would be a high-scoring game. Yankees gave up 13 runs themselves. In one game.
Old User Name
There can be no real takeaways from the London series. This beats anything I’ve ever seen.
ColossusOfClout
No real takeaways? Yanks are the better team, that was the takeaway. I guess we already knew that, it was just solidified.
DVail1979
luxury tax?
iverbure
Don’t bring up facts. The simpletons here think all teams can spend unlimited money.
BaseballPete
I think they have about $4mil of wiggle room before next penalty but yeah tough spot.
Jbigz12
I didn’t realize half a season of a rental reliever is what will cripple them financially. It’s much easier to refer to others as “simpletons” without ever making an informed claim. Colome is the only reliever listed who would push them into a new tax bracket. And that would be if they took on all the rest of his salary. But that’s all good, PHD Iverbure is back dropping more knowledge! Get him in a front office!
Polish Hammer
Same people also think a luxury tax is a salary cap tax that’s gets all of the other team rich off of without knowing how it actually works. MLB needs a hard salary cap, with a ceiling but also a floor.
BaseballPete
Should have been doing this in December.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
More relievers available now, plus they wanted to see what they had in house, plus why spend big dollars for those losers in December When you don’t know how we’re going to be out of the gate? Could be 20 games under .500. Better to see where you’re at All Star break and see if you’re in the running. Of course the Red Sox are so let’s get a couple guys.
fits65
A couple of guys won’t replace a terrible bullpen.
Fever Pitch Guy
This is the most embarrassing MLB management I’ve ever seen. A 108-win World Champion reduced to a .500 team despite no key injuries other than Evo. Their approach to rebuilding the bullpen was to throw a bunch of *stuff* against the wall and hope some of it would stick. As good as Barnes has been in the past, he’s been historically awful in the closer role. What I want to know, what I really really want to know, is WHERE THE HECK WAS BRANDON WORKMAN THIS WEEKEND? He hasn’t pitched since Tuesday, and tomorrow is a day off. If he was being “saved” for a 9th-inning lead, then Cora should be suspended for incompetence.
Occams_hairbrush
“the most embarrassing MLB management you’ve ever seen” Hyperbole much?
papasmurf25
Yankees are just too good …. Sox got spanked hey it happens
iplay_in_traffic
have you seen the mets tho?
Yort
They need at least two solid additions and that just doesn’t seem like a reality without losing from what is an already drained farm system
BaseballPete
They need a closer. Barnes, Hembree, Walden, and Workman have been fine-to-surprisingly-great in non-save situations. They are too mentally soft for saves, though.
pasha2k
Xactly baseball Pete. The Blow-Pen at it again.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
The ever so valuable farm system. Still working on those AAA League championships LOL. Who cares.
Look at the Padres, they’ve got the best farm system in the history of the universe and they still suck like they always have. Those guys are two years away from being two years away.
The farm system is all about getting the major league team together. I understand the balance and all, that don’t go there. But if trading a prospect can get you a major league player I’m all for it.
fletch
Who cares? Sox don’t have it this year to make postseason.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Love the name, my favorite movie of all time. But you need to look at the standings. The Sox are knocking on the door on a wild-card so you have to go for it. This is not the time to hide and rebuild for next year.
B-Strong
Yes, it may very well be. They’d do much better to sell at the deadline and try next year. Even if they make the playoffs this year, they aren’t going all the way.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Okay, who do you sell?
its_happening
Given the recent extensions, Betts and Martinez.
I’m not in-agreement with a sell unless the Sox backslide in July.
In fact, how much can they lose going for it again considering the farm isn’t considered “strong”? Why not?
Francys01
They should start having conversations with the Giants
tigerdoc616
The issue for the Red Sox is that their system is considered very thin. Bleacher Reports had them at 30 and most have them in the 25-30 range. That will make it difficult for them to outbid teams that have better farm systems.
Jbigz12
These are relievers. In most cases rental relievers. They do not fetch a ton and Boston can certainly go out and get one. No matter how weak a system is they have prospects for rental relievers. Snagging rentals hurts Boston’s system a lot more than it would for TB but they have the pieces. Every team does.
rocky7
Depends on what “pieces” as relievers they go after….they do not have the assets in the farm system to get the top tier guys unless it’s a salary dump which hurts just as much if not more!
Jbigz12
They can go after any rental reliever they want. No one is going to cost (or pay) what Chapman did. It’ll further empty a weak system but if DD wants to, he can. It’s absolute lunacy to think Boston doesn’t have enough for a rental reliever.
Fever Pitch Guy
The Sox will likely take the same approach this month that they did during the offseason. They will sit back and watch the best available relievers get traded to other teams, and then go after the leftovers, because there will be more available relief pitchers than there are contenders looking to improve their pen.
pasha2k
The reason the farm is low, first they are in contention every yr, so you spend. Funny thing, Devers, Benni, Chablis, Mookie, JBJ Bogy all come from their bad farm system too since they say is every yr for many yrs about their farm.
badco44
You all can say what you want about the pen, but our starters have been a bust this year… big time
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
It’s funny but David Price has been great. The other guys were messed up by that faulty spring training plan. How do you pitch Simulator games in Spring not make a single start and hope to be Major League ready? I realize you want to save guys because they’re burning out in August but that wasn’t a good plan.
ottoc 2
They’ve had 24 games so far in which the starter has failed to go 5 innings and another 10 in which the starter only went 5.0 innings. One problem related to this is that they haven’t had many games in which they’ve had a reliever pitch more than one inning in a game.
bobtillman
Somebody tell Heyman that water is wet…..does anybody think DD WON’T do anything??????
Right or wrong, they’ll be active.
brewcrewbernie
Water isn’t wet, it has the ability to make other things wet. Lol
chris redsox69
Wow. Their looking Like no kidding. This is news?
diller1340
Shane Greene would be perfect if they have enough to give back to Detroit. He already has a relationship with Dombrowski and his contract is only 4mil this year and is still under arb. for next year. Plus his stats are unreal…… 0.87era 0.83whip 22/23saves
fits65
The only problem is that dombrowski can’t trade with dombrowski.
The Sox hacv nobody worthy to trade.
End of possibilities.
diller1340
I said “he” has a relationship with Dombrowski referring to Shane Greene and his agent. Dombrowski traded for him and brought him to Detroit.
pasha2k
The Redsox are not going anywhere this yr, way too many blown saves, it’s not their yr, besides the Evil Empire is striking bk, n a force like no other, they are rolling over everyone with mediocre pitching. It is the Evil Empire’s yr.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
You’re right the Yankees are kicking butt this year, but now is not the time to fold up the tents.
fits65
Play your hearts out Gary. You just did and were blown out two straightZ
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Wow, two straight games. Really?
I don’t know anybody in baseball who throws in the towel after two straight losses? And we play the Blue Jays next. There’s always hope !!
dlevin11
Do you think the Dodgers have a chance to beat Yankees in a World Series?
its_happening
Ask that question Aug 1.
pasha2k
I think LA can. As long as Kelly goes into WS form he did last yr. Kelly is floundering like he does all season, n for LAs sake I hope he wakes up before the playoffs, n his great performance wasn’t just cuz he was gonna be a FA. LA can beat the NYY.
ColossusOfClout
Yanks will crush the Dodgers, Kelly will be roadkill.
dlevin11
Boston Blowpen strikes again in London series! Not the worst relievers in AL but not near the top either. No playoffs this year.
astros_fan_84
I will be curious to see how the reliever market shakes up. There are so many middle of the pack teams that could be buyers or sellers. It will drastically effect the overall supply and demand.
kroeg49
I’m hoping the White Sox realize they NEED Colome for when they expect to be a contender for the division in 2020
yesgeo
THE 2019 TEAM IS DEAD .. DEAD MEN SLEEPING.. TIME FOR TRADES .. OVER PAYED AND UNDER TALENTED … MR HENRY YOU FAILED .. U GOT SUCKED BY AVERAGE PLAYERS BEING OVER PAID … awful high school pitching. . awful catchers .. high school catchers .. 5 curves in a row = home run every time… brain dead catcher … hitters poor choice of pitches .. no aggression .. piss poor coaching of fundamentals.. and scouting .. MR HENRY YOU FAILED
its_happening
That Mr Henry who was willing to break the luxury to win? The one willing to spend to keep the core that won the World Series? Whether you agree with the moves or not, Henry is certainly an owner showing he’s all in.
He’s racked up some nice hardware. I’d be happy to have him own my team.
fits65
Turn go ahead and switch.
its_happening
You trying Morse Code?
gomerhodge71
Point the finger at Ben Cherington before blaming Henry or Dombrowski. Buffoon Ben signed Rusney Castillo, Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. He had no clue as to what he was doing. Those moves crippled them for years.
fits65
And Bernie Madoff too, right.
Stop
yesgeo
2019 TEAM IS DEAD .. DEAD MEN SLEEPING.. TIME FOR TRADES .. OVER PAYED AND UNDER TALENTED … MR HENRY YOU FAILED .. U GOT SUCKED BY AVERAGE PLAYERS BEING OVER PAID … awful high school pitching. . awful catchers .. high school catchers .. 5 curves in a row = home run every time… brain dead catcher … hitters poor choice of pitches .. no aggression .. piss poor coaching of fundamentals.. and scouting .. MR HENRY YOU FAILED
gomerhodge71
And to think. Last year they could have gotten Brad Hand for Rafael Devers (sarcasm intended).
jekporkins
No money and no prospects = no new relief pitcher.
Jbigz12
RPS don’t cost the moon. Boston has 1 top 100 prospect and plenty of other prospects who’d be mid range in other systems. No rental reliever on the market costs more than that. If DD (like he’s done many times before) wants to get a reliever he has enough chips to do so. It’ll further deplete a thin system but that’s not really his concern.
xpensivewinos
Dave Dombrowski never met a bullpen he couldn’t destroy.
fits65
He never met a young team that he couldnt make old and tired
Yep it is
Bloated payroll , destroyed farm system, where have we heard this before? DETROIT
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
They won the World Series. That’s not the goal?
My-oh-my, some people on here want to step over dollars to pick up dimes.
SportsFan0000
Red Sox gutted their farm system building the present team….I don’t see much on the Red Sox’s top 30 prospect list that would interest other teams…No way they can get into a bidding war….They are out of ammo…
SportsFan0000
Looks like NYY and Rays fight it out in the East.
Short of a complete collapse by either of those teams, I don’t see the Red Sox making the playoffs this year…
PopeMarley
Both the Wild Card teams will come out of the East. The rest of the league besides the Astros, and the Twins (who wouldn’t surprise anyone to implode) are dog doo-doo.
ctguy
Cleveland has a good shot at joining Tampa Bay as the Wild Card teams
PopeMarley
They have NO OFFENSE
ctguy
The Sox have NO BULLPEN
soxshortstop
20-20 vision now. Should have kept Ty Buttrey over Ian Kinsler deal. Bad trade for Red Sox.
william-2
I do not understand how a DOMBROWSKI lead team did not realize they had a huge problem in the bullpen. His trademark over his long career has always been to build a team with nearly no bullpen. Did no one around him point this out? Remind him? I am not doing 20/20 hindsight when I tell you I thought the Red Sox had ZERO chance of winning the division, and I questioned whether they would make the wild card with the assembly they have out there. I hate to say I was right, because I wish I wasn’t. I do not see how ownership did not question the idea of having several questionable pitchers fulfill the roles they would be expected to this season. Nearly all of them are TWO roles apart from their actual ability. Barnes is a fine pitcher, but has never been a true eighth inning guy nor a closer, and everyone after him is worse. When you best possible relief options are two of your starts (Eovaldi, Wright) you are doomed to suffer blown situation after blown situation. Again, was there really any possible way anyone thought this would work out? Who is accountable if they didn’t, and who didn’t forcibly step up to stress how important it is to have at least reliable arms in the middle, and sure fire arms at the end? Couple with such a flawed approach by our relievers as an organization, and there is no chance. How can an organizations bullpen have a philosophy to not throw strikes to start at bats, go deep nearly every hitter, and throw the same pitch to the same locations nearly every hitter? I watched those last place finishes the last few years, every game. I was never more frustrated by our pitching staff then this year. Even Felix Doubront couldn’t frustrate me to this level. Starters, throw strike 1, get ahead, pitch to situations and contact, challenge hitters, keep your pitch count down to go deeper, Relievers, grow a pair and make the other team hit to get on base. STOP IT WITH THE WALKS AND DEEP COUNTS!!!
Fever Pitch Guy
William, this was a classic case of Sox management getting over-inflated egos after last year and thinking they can “outsmart” all other teams by passing on proven guys like Britton and Ottavino.
The Sox actually thought Jenrry “Banned For Life” Mejia, Brasier and Barnes were all they needed to fill Kimbrel’s closer role.
Obviously, they were just as wrong about the bullpen as they were about treating Spring Training like Club Med and having their starters pitch just twice before the regular season. They wanted their players to be “well rested” for October? Great, the Red Sox will be the most rested team as they sit and watch the postseason from the comfort of their recliners.
fits65
Barnes has no command of the strike zone. He should Be Pitching for seattle
bigwestbaseball
Red Sox looked pathetic in London. Yesterday is gone, Pedroia is gone, first place is gone. It’s just so enjoyable to watch this ship sink!
army123456
Bob nutting is a moron. The pirates are for sale. I am sure Neil Huntington will let you have any reliever for free. They might give you another prospect along with our closers. Freaking idiots.
BloodySox
Glad it took a Molly whomping in London for common sense to kick in
oldleftylong
DD has sold the farm. What we see is what we get. Reboot already this winter.
quantomoffandom
He did that in Detroit. We were OK as long as Mr I kept spending. But at some point you have to pay piper. For Detroit we are on year 3 of a 6 year plan to rebuild the farm system.
oldleftylong
Can you find a fresh pic of DD? He looks 80 in this photo.
whyhayzee
The wild card is not something to make wholesale changes over. It could easily be one and done or squashed by the next opponent. It’s not like it used to be before the second wild card. The Red Sox aren’t going to suddenly find themselves winning like crazy so I think they might grab some scraps and see what sticks. Finding a closer is for the off-season.
Matt Galvin
Somebody from Royals?
quantomoffandom
Dave, Dave, Dave, I thought you had learned your lesson while in Detroit. You refused to spend money on the pen and it cost Detroit a World Series or two. You go to Boston and went out and got a top notch closure and you win it all. So what do you do, you go back to your old way and neglected to bullpen…and it has cost you once again.
Jbigz12
That top notch closer walked over 7 per 9 and had ERA above 7 in the postseason. The Red Sox won the WS but Kimbrel didn’t do much in the postseason to make that happen. Joe Kelly did. So what you just said there would do nothing but make DD’s philosophy look better. Personally I believe they need a closer really bad right now but using Kimbrel as exhibit A doesn’t do much for that argument.
yesgeo
exactly. .. should have traded to reduce payroll and got 2 higher end relievers .. not Kimberly
need better coaches and their scouting sucks …
SG
The Red Sox are in the enviable position of having a rich owner.
But even rich owners hate to lose and take losses financially.
So the Red Sox should acquire bargains wherever they can find them.
An example may be to take a look at Travis Shaw (an alumni) that may be had for cheap $.
Search for healthy out of favor cheap talent.
Same can be said for relievers.
If the Red Sox make the playoffs then they make it.
If they don’t then the ones that lose are the investors and upper echelon management.
Viewers can always watch a winning team by just changing the channel
Just because you live near Boston doesn’t require you to self-flagellate yourself for their failure. LOL
And just remember that spending less is always better than spending more when you lose.
“It’s a question of how much money do we want to lose,” as John Henry said.
So isn’t it logical that a team with money doesn’t want to lose more money?
This off season should be interesting in Boston.
A good house cleaning I suspect.
And hopefully a reassessment and better way of spending their money.
SG
PS – And don’t forget the words of Sonny in the movie A Bronx Tale.
“Mickey Mantle doesn’t care about you so why should you care about him”?
So Boston fans, and I’m one, let’s put the whips of flagulation away.
LOL
It’s up to John Henry to make money by winning, not us.
And the only way John Henry gets the message is if we, the fans, stop spending money on a failing team.
SG
Here’s an idea.
Maybe John Henry should buy the Tampa Rays and use it as a farm system.
Nobody goes to their games anyway and I’ll bet he could buy it for cheap $.
Only kidding, I wish they could do that but the Commissioner would likely shoot that down.
LOL