Boston Red Sox discussion point predictions for 2019 season
By Rick McNair
Who is the best closer in Red Sox history? The list can certainly be extensive and exhausting or minimized. I will prefer the latter. I’d start with Dick Radatz and Jonathan Papelbon. There is also the durable Bob Stanley and for the ancient fans, Ellis Kinder, but they collectively can’t hold a closing candle to Craig Kimbrel. I will leave out Heathcliff Slocumb and his remarkable incendiary ability.
Kimbrel should be with the Red Sox, but a perfect fiscal storm prevents the Red Sox from doing what any sane GM would do and that is re-upping Kimbrel. A replacement is necessary and the tryouts have begun, but the obvious is Matt Barnes. The rest is for show. The real battle of the bullpen is for positional slots in the various non-closer categories.
Barnes is a rather rare item in recent Red Sox history and that is a Sox number one draft choice that actually has a modicum of pitching success. Our system breeds a plethora of offensive juggernauts but goes passive in pitching development. The righty throws hard (96.6 mph) which is considered a prerequisite in today’s game. But rare is the pitcher that is a one pitch trick pony and Barnes has a nasty curveball to entice and confuse.
Walks have a place in my baseball heart as wooden stakes, holy water, and crosses do to vampires. Barnes has that certain quality where suddenly the plate becomes postage stamp size and even the free swingers that encompass virtually all on offense today sit back and wait. And wait. Maybe a nice bunny down Broadway?
The statistical polar opposite spectrum exists with a 4.5 BB/9 and 14.0 K/9. Oh well, we survived Kimbrel and his 4.5 BB/9 of 2018. Fact is it will be sink or swim for Barnes in the bullpen unless the results are so Slocumb like that manager Alex Cora is forced to go elsewhere, but being a prognosticator with no filters I will categorically go on record as stating Barnes will be our new Papelbon.