Red Sox reliever Colten Brewer could be the next Ryan Brasier

The Red Sox need a reliever to step up in 2019 and solidify their shaky bullpen. Dave Dombrowski and Alex Cora think Colten Brewer can be that guy.

There has been quite a stir in the media about how uninspiring the Red Sox bullpen is. It’s the same narrative nonbelievers liked to spread right before the 2018 playoffs. Everyone was constantly singing the high praises of New York’ star-studded bullpen, while constantly criticizing Boston’s. Yet when it was all said and done, the Red Sox relievers got the job done and coasted past the Yankees, the Astros and the Dodgers en route to their fourth World Series title this century.

In 2019, it seems the naysayers haven’t learned at all from their mistakes. Analysts are still fawning over the Yankees’ expensive bullpen. The Bronx Bombers are adding Adam Ottavino to a group that already includes Zach Britton, Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Chad Green, Jonathan Holder, and more. Meanwhile, the Sox have already lost Joe Kelly and are expected to lose All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel.

Right now, the Red Sox bullpen isn’t exactly awe-inspiring. Then again, the same could be said for last year heading into the postseason. There were plenty of late-inning situations in which the fate of the game was put into the hands of a mysterious stranger named Ryan Brasier. No one in New England expected Brasier, who spent much of the season in the minor leagues after pitching in Japan the year before, to be a serious impact player for the Sox down the stretch, but he definitely was.

If Alex Cora’s team wants to repeat last year’s success, they are going to need another Ryan Brasier to step up and fill the vacancy left by Kelly. Enter Colten Brewer.

The 26-year-old has bounced around the league, spending the majority of is time toiling through the minors. Now he seems to have a found a home in Boston. The Red Sox acquired him from San Diego in November in exchange for Esteban Quiroz, one of their more intriguing prospects. So far, the reliever has been praised by both Cora and Dave Dombrowski. In fact, Dombrowski is so high on Brewer that he even tried to acquire him last year during the regular season.

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Brewer put up a 3.75 ERA over 48 innings at Triple-A last year and allowed six earned runs in 9.2 innings for a 5.59 ERA during his limited time with the Padres. Over that stretch in the bigs, he averaged 92.6 mph on his four-seam fastball, 92.4 mph on his cutter, 86.9 mph on his slider and 83.3 mph on his curveball. It’s certainly not Joe Kelly/Craig Kimbrel speed by any stretch, but the variations in velocity could be a factor in fooling hitters at the plate.

With only eleven major league appearances to his name, Brewer certainly has a lot of hype to live up to if he ends up making the Opening Day roster. Given his two remaining minor league options, the right-hander is expected to shuttle back and forth between the majors and Triple-A when the roster needs reshuffling. Still, he could end up being a key piece to the ball club when the weather starts getting colder.

While no one will be rushing to their TV to watch Brewer this spring, he’s certainly an interesting player to keep an eye on. Given the uneasy state of the Sox bullpen, plenty of pitchers will be given the opportunity to step up and make a name for themselves. In short, Dombrowski and Cora are looking for the next Ryan Brasier. Given the high praise already heaped on him from those above, Colten Brewer could very well be that guy.