Five free agent relievers Red Sox could pursue from World Series teams
By Sean Penney
Sean Doolittle
The Nationals have a $6.5 million team option for Sean Doolittle so he may not even be a free agent. If he does hit the market though, he’s worth a look for the Red Sox.
The lefty had the worst year of his career with a 4.05 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 9.9 K/9 in 60 innings for the Nationals. However, we should take this regression with a grain of salt.
More from Red Sox News
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Why Red Sox fans should be rooting for Carlos Correa’s Mets deal to go through
His numbers are marred by a brutal month of August when he posted a 12.86 ERA. Doolittle allowed 10 earned runs over a five-game stretch before hitting the injured list with knee tendinitis.
Doolittle has looked revitalized since returning in September. While he lost his closer role to Daniel Hudson, he’s pitched much better than he did prior to his mid-season hiatus. Doolittle owned a 2.25 ERA over eight September innings and he’s allowed only two earned runs over 7 1/3 postseason innings.
Was an ailing knee to blame for his rough patch? Maybe he simply needed a breather during the dog days of summer? His solid results since returning from the IL are encouraging and the track record of the two-time All-Star suggests he’s worth gambling on following a down season if he becomes available.
The Red Sox were heavily criticized for leading the majors with 31 blown saves so it may seem odd to target two relievers who shared closer duties for a Washington club that blew 29 saves. This is where the “blown save” stat gets misleading since many of those instances occurred before the closer took the mound. Doolittle converted an acceptable 83% of his opportunities this season. He’s a potential option if the Red Sox want to sign a closer who may be more affordable after what was perceived as a poor season.