Red Sox: Addison Reed raises questions as he implodes in 8th inning

Addison Reed, the big trade deadline acquisition for the Boston Red Sox, had his first big test in the postseason race and failed.

Friday night’s outing for Addison Reed has raised questions about how he’s going to perform down the stretch. Dave Dombrowski traded for Reed to be our set-up man leading to Kimbrel, but so far in his Red Sox career, Reed has not looked impressive.

Reed came into Friday’s game with a three- run lead and was held responsible for four of the Yankees five runs, including a home run by Aaron Hicks, while he failed to record a single out. Reed was supposed to cement the back end of the Red Sox bullpen but has failed to do so. After Friday, his ERA stands at 12.27 with the Red Sox. In just 3 ⅔ innings, he’s given up five runs and two home runs. His WAR is at a measly -0.3 with the club.

There is no doubt that the pressure here as opposed to being a Met is completely different. However, his ERA in New York was at 2.57 while he recorded 19 Saves. Reed looks to be a shell of what he was all season with the Mets, but he needs to completely forget Friday nights implosion because he could find himself out of the 8th inning job in a heartbeat if his performance doesn’t shape up.

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Despite needing to solidify the 8th, a few other relievers have come a long way recently. Brandon Workman has an impressive 1.77 ERA in 20 ⅓ innings this year for the Sox. He has handled the 8th inning in the past, and his recent outings have shown he might be turning himself back into a formidable option for the club.

Joe Kelly has been stellar this year despite Friday night’s 8th inning, but that would mean flipping what was supposed to be his and Reed’s roles. Either way, Reed was acquired in hopes to add stability to an already impressive bullpen.

For now, they need to remain with Reed in hopes that a collapse like this doesn’t happen again. However, in the eight career innings he’s actually pitched in the postseason he has been less than impressive, tallying a 5.63 ERA. Obviously, in ten appearances an ERA will be easily manipulated, but it might be worth remembering. The Red Sox are in the midst of a big playoff run, and they are always under the microscope.

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If Reed is to be a success here, he can’t allow close situations to get to him down the road. This is a huge opportunity for him, and he needs to close down the 8th inning in the future.