After the Winter Meetings ended just last week, a need for relievers became a priority for Boston. Now with flamethrower Joe Kelly gone to the Dodgers, they are in desperate need of another quality arm in the pen to fill Kelly’s shoes. Adam Ottavino could be the answer.
Adam Ottavino will definitely cost the Red Sox a hefty amount considering he was one of the best relievers across the big leagues in 2018. But at this point, if the Red Sox want to repeat, they need to beef up their bullpen. Joe Kelly is gone, and Craig Kimbrel is on the brink of leaving.
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They need one or two quality arms who can fill the void that Kimbrel and Kelly will leave. There has been talk about Boston showing interest in David Robertson as well, who could bring a lot of experience to the pen and versatility to pitch as a setup man or in a closing role.
What Ottavino could bring to the Red Sox
Ottavino is one of the most prized free agent relievers this offseason, even more than Craig Kimbrel. The righty has garnered interest from numerous teams, such as his hometown Yankees, but there are still no reports on where he will sign. The 33-year old put himself on the map in 2018 with an outstanding year. He boasted a 2.43 ERA in 77.2 innings, striking out an astounding 112 hitters.
Ottavino was more of a setup man in 2018, but he did also have six saves for the Rockies last season. He has the versatility to do both if needed given his tremendous stuff and an electric fastball that sits in the mid-90s. His eye-popping slider was arguably one of the filthiest offerings by any reliever in 2018, fooling hitters every time he took the mound. Take a look.
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As a massive follower of Adam Ottavino since practicing with him in High School, I'm stoked to see him tonight.
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) October 3, 2018
Oh and that his slider looks like this. pic.twitter.com/huVDhcg0LM
Unreal. It even made Michael A. Taylor jump back because it looked like it was going to hit him, only for the pitch to sweep right across the plate.
He relies mostly on his slider, with his sinker and cutter being the other pitches he throws most frequently. The sinker has a tremendous movement which he gets a lot of ground balls with. For a reliever, he has a healthy amount of pitches that he can throw for strikes which is a huge positive.
Red Sox should spend the money on him
Personally, I think the Red Sox should fork out some cash to acquire Adam Ottavino. He would be a perfect fit for the Red Sox bullpen and could even emerge as their best reliever just as he did in Colorado last season.
If they did show the interest in him and were willing to pay him the amount he wanted, I don’t see how he wouldn’t want to be a part of a very good thing that’s happening in Boston. Mix in the fact that Ottavino was a first-round pick out of Northeastern University in Boston back in 2006, and it could really be a place he would be interested in playing given his familiarity with the city.
The Red Sox could also go after some cheaper relievers like Brad Brach or Kelvin Herrera, but why not go all in and try and sign the best reliever possible? They can definitely afford it.
If they managed to agree on a deal with Ottavino, it would give them a top-notch arm that could be a setup man or even be put into a closing role. If Boston wants to repeat, strengthening their bullpen is very important. Adam Ottavino could be a huge step to another outstanding season for the Sox in 2019.