Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes is ready to step into closer role

The Boston Red Sox haven’t made any free agent moves to address the closer role but Matt Barnes is ready to take on the responsibility.

The rumors surrounding the free agency status of Craig Kimbrel continue to simmer and fade. The Boston Red Sox haven’t made any significant bullpen moves to replace the flame-throwing closer, leaving them with only internal options for that role if they are indeed content to let Kimbrel walk away.

One pitcher eager to step into Kimbrel’s shoes is Matt Barnes.

In an interview on MLB Network radio, Barnes explained how his postseason experience during Boston’s World Series run helped prepare him for the pressure of handling the closer duties.

"“There is something different about the last three outs of the game in the ninth inning,” Barnes said. “But I think having gone through that postseason run and pitched in big spots, … Those are such high-pressure situations that, if I am fortunate enough to be in that role and they trust me in that role and want to give me that opportunity, having gone through everything in the postseason last year, I can’t imagine that a save situation is going to have more pressure or be more high-leverage in the second week in April than Game 3 or Game 4 of the World Series.”"

Matt Barnes says pitching in the postseason has prepared him to be the next #RedSox closer... if that's the direction the team goes. pic.twitter.com/kKwYY4GQZ8
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) January 25, 2019

Barnes has proven himself on the October stage. He’s 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA in 11 career postseason appearances. Barnes allowed only one earned run over 8 2/3 innings last postseason and earned a win in Game 1 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 28-year old is coming off the best season of his career, posting a 3.65 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 14.0 K/9. The ERA is a bit higher than you want from a closer but it’s also inflated by a rough patch in late-August while Barnes was dealing with a hip injury that sidelined him for nearly three weeks. His 4.5 BB/9 is concerning but it’s not as if Kimbrel’s control was any better and pitchers can get away with free passes when they have elite strikeout rates.

Barnes has the talent and is clearly capable of pitching in high-leverage situations. As he said, there’s no pressure greater than pitching in the World Series. Considering how well he handled that task, closing out regular season games should be a breeze.

There’s more to being a closer than thriving under pressure though. We know that Barnes has been successful under the spotlight but how will he deal with failure? A closer needs to have a short memory and the ability to bounce back from a loss without being shaken by it.