Earlier this week the Boston Red Sox placed lefty Brian Johnson on outright waivers and today he cleared the market and was sent to Triple-A Pawtucket.
In about as shocking a move that can happen in November, the Red Sox placed southpaw starter/reliever Brian Johnson on outright waivers on Monday. The 48-hour window has now passed and with zero interest from the league, he’ll be finding his way to Pawtucket for next season having cleared waivers.
I say this move is shocking because as we all know, Boston is beyond hurting for pitching depth. Though his 2019 was filled with lackluster performances and injuries he still has a track record of being reliable for Alex Cora. With the Winter Meetings fast approaching, the move seems to be one that will simply free up a spot on the 40-man roster.
The Red Sox are in serious need of some pitching help not only in the starting rotation but also in the bullpen, so I doubt Johnson will be in Pawtucket for long. Trades are most likely going to be the way within which Chaim Bloom improves the team this winter.
Having another slot open on the 40-man seems like a preemptive move allowing some wiggle room for additions. Now he has the availability to add multiple players without having to make a snap judgment of who to remove from the roster.
As we saw in 2019, the Boston bullpen wasn’t the most reliable and there was a constant shuffling of the relief corps between the majors and minors. We’re likely to see more of a light on Darwinzon Hernandez as he has potential that is off the charts. Josh Taylor and Marcus Walden were also revelations last season and constantly put up strong efforts when Cora needed them the most.
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If things tend to go the way that we saw most recently then on a moment’s notice we could see anyone sent down and Johnson back with the big club. BJ is still young not only in age but also in his career as he’s only spent four years in the Majors and will be just 29-years-old, in a few days. He’ll need to get himself as healthy as possible which is much easier said than done, but it could mean a quick call-up in 2020.
His 2019 brought a 1-3 record through 40.1 innings pitched with a 6.02 ERA. Not his finest work but it very well may have been the best he could do with the injuries he was dealing with. Walks were a big hindrance for BJ last year as his BB/K ratio was 23/31 compared to 38/87 just the year prior.
This winter will be one of the most important in recent times for the Red Sox. I know that sounds dramatic as the team is a year removed from winning the World Series. the fall from grace was that drastic though and the organization can’t go another free-agent window without making serious moves.
Outrighting Johnson and having him go to Triple-A may not seem big in the grand scheme but it can open the door when the Winter Meetings arrive in December.
When Brian Johnson is on he’s one hell of a pitcher and can be an asset to any staff, sadly we didn’t get that in 2019. With the right kind of offseason though he can get himself back to the top of the mountain and become a rock in the Boston relief team. The Red Sox will need every weapon they have in the arsenal to get back to October baseball and BJ very well may be called upon when needed.