2 relievers who've moved up the Red Sox trust tree, 1 who's moved down

The Boston Red Sox bullpen in 2026 has been a bit of a rollercoaster. While the high-leverage arms stayed mostly the same from 2025, the front end saw significant turnover. 

Arms such as Justin Wilson, Steven Matz, Chris Murphy, and Brennan Bernardino all either left in free agency or were traded. The front office also didn't do much to replace those arms, relying more on internal options rather than free agents to make up the deficit. The one free agent, who was signed late in spring training, is Danny Coulombe. 

The Sox's results to start the season have also meant the back end of the bullpen hasn't seen much work. Aroldis Chapman has only pitched nine times in the team's first 23 games, same with Garrett Whitlock. The front end of the 'pen has seen plenty of work, though, and has seen a rotating cast of characters due to the starters' inability to go deep in games and injuries.

Five players will have made their MLB debuts out of the Sox bullpen by the end of April: Jack Anderson, Ryan Watson, Tyler Samaniego, Tyler Uberstine, and Eduardo Rivera. That has given Red Sox Nation a chance to really see who can be trusted and who shouldn't be in Boston. 

2 relievers who've moved up the Red Sox trust tree

Jack Anderson

The 26-year-old, former 16th-round pick came on fans' radar when he made Team Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic, but nobody thought he would be pitching in Boston before the end of April. That being said, he's proven that he can limit damage in a multi-inning role.

Anderson made three appearances out of the 'pen — threw three innings twice and then two innings. He’s allowed three runs, walked only two, and struck out six. He may not crack high leverage opportunities, but as a mid-innings stopper, he's earned some trust. 

Tyler Samaniego

Another of the Red Sox debutantes, the lefty has shown why Craig Breslow targeted him in the Garcia-Oviedo trade. Entering spring, some thought Samaniego had a chance to crack the opening day roster next to Jovani Morán. The signing of Coulombe had him start in Worcester, but it didn't take long for him to make his way down the Pike.

The 27-year-old has made five scoreless appearances out of the bullpen, ranging from ⅔ of an inning to two innings. His biggest problem has been walks — he's issued four in 2.6 innings -—but he's limited the damage by only allowing three hits so far and striking out eight. He may be the fourth lefty in the bullpen, but he's quickly earning higher leverage spots.

1 reliever who's moved down the Red Sox trust tree

Ryan Watson

The Red Sox Rule 5 draft pick has really struggled to start the year. He has been tasked with eating innings when the game gets out of hand, and he has mostly made things worse. He has allowed at least one run in five of his 11 outings this year, with four of those being multiple runs. 

He's certainly been overused this season — he's already pitched 13 ⅓ innings — and that likely isn't helping his abilities. That being said, he has allowed two-plus baserunners in eight of his appearances. His Rule 5 status and all the injuries have kept him in the majors this long, but once the team gets healthy, he likely won't be around long.

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