Five free agent relievers Red Sox could pursue from World Series teams
By Sean Penney
The 2019 World Series teams have several relievers hitting free agency this offseason who the Boston Red Sox could have interest in pursuing.
The World Series kicks off Tuesday night with the Houston Astros hosting the Washington Nationals. The pitching matchup between Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole will understandably draw plenty of interest but it’s the bullpens that the Boston Red Sox should be paying attention to.
Pitching was clearly a weakness for the Red Sox that will need to be addressed this offseason but they will have limited funds to spend in free agency as ownership aims to dip below the luxury tax threshold. Cole will be the cream of the free agent pitching crop but he’ll almost certainly be out of Boston’s price range.
The bullpen would be a more cost-effective way of upgrading the pitching staff. The Red Sox don’t necessarily need to splurge on a top-tier closer since Brandon Workman proved capable of handling the role but they do need an arm capable of handling high-leverage situations to bridge the gap to their closer.
Both teams in this year’s World Series have relievers capable of late-inning work who will be hitting free agency. A strong performance on baseball’s biggest stage would appeal to a Red Sox team in need of playoff-tested pitching, making these relievers options to monitor during the Fall Classic.