Red Sox: Five potential closer options to target in free agency
By Sean Penney
Red Sox free agent target – Alex Colome
Alex Colome was as reliable as any closer in the game this year, converting 12 of his 13 save opportunities while posting an excellent 0.81 ERA and 0.94 WHIP for the Chicago White Sox.
The insanely low ERA probably wouldn’t hold up over a full season but Colome produced a strong 2.80 ERA in 2019 and he owns a 2.95 ERA for his career.
Colome came up through the Tampa Bay Rays organization so Chaim Bloom knows him well. He was an All-Star in 2016 when he saved 37 games and posted a 1.91 ERA. The following year, Colome led the league with 47 saves.
He’s never been an elite strikeout artist but Colome’s career 8.2 K/9 is respectable. It’s somewhat troubling to see his strikeout rate drop to 6.4 K/9 this year but that might be a small sample-size fluke. Colome hasn’t lost any zip on his fastball, which sits in the 94-95 mph range, and his 15.3 SwStr% was actually a career-high.
The 31-year-old will garner plenty of interest on the free-agent market but his trustworthy track record and Bloom’s familiarity with him should make him one of Boston’s top reliever targets.