Boston Red Sox Top-5 bullpen trade targets
Jul 24, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher
Koji Uehara(19) pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Upgrading the pitching staff will be the top priority for the Boston Red Sox this offseason, but this task extends beyond finding an ace to anchor the rotation. The bullpen needs work too, with only a select few from 2015’s underwhelming core of relievers expected to be a lock to return in a prominent role next year.
The Red Sox need more reliable options that can be deployed late in a close game, including the glorified 9th inning role. Yes, incumbent closer Koji Uehara has been one of the league’s best over the past three years, but the fact remains that he’ll be 41 next season and is coming off a year in which he had to be shut down with an arm injury. While Uehara is still capable of being a key cog in this bullpen, the Red Sox can’t bank on him making it through a full season.
New Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski has already hinted at the idea of acquiring another reliever with closing experience. Whether it be to supplant Uehara in order to move him to a role where his workload can be managed more effectively or to give the team an insurance policy in case he goes down again, it’s clear the back end of the bullpen needs help.
We have already discussed some of the potential free agent relievers that could interest the Red Sox. While some of these options have closing experience, they are primarily setup men who happen to have temporarily found themselves in the role out of circumstance. There are no surefire elite closers on that market, but if the Red Sox wish to find one they could always explore the trade market.
Here are a few established closers that the Red Sox should inquire about.
Sep 8, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Drew Storen (22) pitches during the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Drew Storen
2015 Stats: 29 saves, 3.44 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 10.96 K/9
Storen entered 2015 as the closer for the Washington Nationals on the heels of a career-best season, only to have his job stolen from him when a mid-season trade brought Jonathan Papelbon to town. It’s a move that quickly backfired, as Papelbon did little to endear himself to his new teammates and likely sealed his ticket out of town with a dust-up with Bryce Harper that got him suspended for the remainder of the season. Washington would like nothing more than to dump Papelbon this winter, but the Red Sox won’t be interested in shipping him up to Boston. If they were to look to the Nationals for bullpen help, it’s Storen that they should have their eyes on.
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While his ERA wasn’t flattering this season, Storen is only a year removed from leading the majors among relievers with 10+ saves with a 1.12 ERA. He wasn’t the full-time closer in Washington last year, but he’s done it before, having logged 43 saves in 2011. While his ERA is trending in the wrong direction, he did set career-highs with a 10.96 K/9 and 4.19 K/BB ratio.
Storen wasn’t shy about voicing his disappointment when Papelbon bumped him from the 9th inning, so it’s clear his preference is to close. He may get the job back in Washington if they manage to find someone to take Papelbon off their hands, but otherwise he may seek a trade. Boston doesn’t have an immediate opening for the role, but the uncertainty surrounding Uehara may make being his setup man more appealing than the situation he’s currently in.
Sep 24, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Cody Allen (37) pitches to the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning at Target Field. The Indians win 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Cody Allen
2015 Stats: 34 saves, 2.99 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 12.85 K/9
While he may not be the flashiest name on the list, Allen is an under the radar option that could prove to be the best value. He set a career-high in saves this year as the closer for the Cleveland Indians, while posting the 7th best strikeout rate in the majors.
He doesn’t have the longest of track records, but Allen has been reliable and durable in his brief career, having topped 69 innings in each of the last three years. He can handle a heavy workload and is even capable of recording more than three outs in an appearance, having gone longer than one inning 11 times this season. That’s not something the Red Sox are comfortable letting Uehara do at this stage of his career, so having a young arm like Allen at the back of the bullpen would provide manager John Farrell with more flexibility.
Allen isn’t arbitration eligible until next year, so Cleveland won’t be inclined to trade him unless they are presented with an offer they can’t refuse. The Red Sox have been eyeing some of the young power arms in Cleveland’s rotation, so if the Indians insist on asking for some of the best prospects in Boston’s system, perhaps the Red Sox can insist on Allen being part of the deal as well. By cashing some chips from their deep farm system, the Red Sox could potentially find a new ace and closer in one swoop.
Sep 10, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Francisco Rodriguez (57) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the twelfth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Francisco Rodriguez
2015 Stats: 38 saves, 2.21 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 9.79 K/9
The 33-year old veteran has bounced around a lot over the last few years and is now making his second stint with the Milwaukee Brewers. Since the Brew Crew isn’t ready to contend yet in a highly competitive NL Central division, they may be inclined to listen to offers on Rodriguez, who enters the final guaranteed year of his contract.
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Rodriguez was 7th in the majors in saves this season, bringing his career total to 386. The Red Sox won’t find another option with his experience as a closer. He’s the type of power arm this bullpen needs, with a career 10.76 K/9 rate. He also offers good control, having only walked 11 batters all year and posting a 5.64 K/BB ratio that was one of the league’s best among relievers.
Rodriguez’s last stop in the AL East didn’t go so well, as he posted a 4.50 ERA in half a season with the Baltimore Orioles before returning to Milwaukee the following season. That 22 inning sample is hardly indicative of his talent and he has previous success in the AL, having spent the first 7 years of his career with the Los Angeles Angels.
The $5.5 million that Rodriguez is owed for 2016 is a relative bargain for a closer of his caliber. If he works out here in Boston then they’ll have the opportunity to bring him back for another year on a $6 million team option. If he flounders back in the AL East, they can cut bait with a $4 million buyout or attempt to trade him to recoup some of the value they will have to surrender to get him in the first place.
Aug 26, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) throws to the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. The San Diego Padres won 6-5. Mandatory Credit:
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Craig Kimbrel
2015 Stats: 39 saves, 2.58 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 13.20 K/9
Kimbrel has been one of the game’s best closers for the last half decade, posting an absurd 1.63 ERA for his career while racking up 225 saves. The San Diego Padres paid a handsome price to acquire him last winter, but their plans to reload blew up in their faces. Kimbrel did his part, but the Padres still lost 88 games and appear nowhere near contention.
Kimbrel had the 5th best strikeout rate in the majors in what was actually the worst year of his career. The 14.55 K/9 he has averaged in his career would have been the third best in the majors if he had equaled that this season. Not many relievers would scoff at his ERA, but it’s nearly a full run higher than what he has produced in his career. This year was also the first time since 2011 that he failed to produce a WHIP under 1.00, which is pretty incredible when you consider that only 21 relievers in the majors posted a sub-1.00 WHIP this year (minimum 40 IP). Even in what is considered an off year for him, Kimbrel remains one of the league’s best.
With the Padres forced to take a step back, unloading Kimbrel should be near the top of their list. No losing team has any business paying $11 million for a closer, but the Red Sox have the financial resources to take on the $24 million in guaranteed money owed to him over the next two years, plus the $13 million team option for 2018. It’s a steep price to pay, but the Red Sox are one of few teams with a significant need for a reliever of his caliber and the payroll budget to afford him without forcing the Padres to chip in for part of the bill, which could help keep the asking price down. Given that there is a year less on his contract now, the price the Red Sox have to pay should be less than what San Diego paid a year ago.
Next: Arolids Chapman
Sep 18, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher
Aroldis Chapman(54) pitches in the ninth inning to pick up a save against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. The Reds beat the Brewers 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Aroldis Chapman
2015 Stats: 33 saves, 1.63 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 15.74 K/9
This is the big prize for any team considering dealing for a closer. The flame-throwing right-hander led the majors in strikeout rate for the third straight season and the .527 OPS that he limited opposing hitters to was 5th best among closers.
Chapman’s arbitration price is starting to get expensive, as he’s due a raise from the $8 million he made this year. The Cincinnati Reds have been rumored to be considering exploring offers for him, as he is one of their few significant trade chips that could both bring back a hefty return and ease their payroll. It will take a lot to get him, with at least one blue chip prospect leading the package going to Cincinnati, but Chapman is worth it. He’s still cheaper than Kimbrel and won’t reach free agency until after the 2017 season.
The question regarding trading for Chapman is one that the Reds had struggled with in the past. Is Chapman a closer or would they be better served making him into a starter? He’s already one of the best closers in the game, so there is risk in toying with what works. There are some that feel that Chapman is too talented to be limited to the bullpen and that he’d be more valuable as a starter. It’s an option that hasn’t been ruled out for his future, but given the way baseball is trending toward teams building dominant bullpens, leaving him in a relief role may be what’s best for the Red Sox if they manage to acquire him.