Boston Red Sox: Five bold predictions for 2021 season
By Sean Penney
Red Sox leader in saves isn’t on the roster yet
When the Red Sox traded Brandon Workman to Philadelphia at the trade deadline it left them with Matt Barnes as the closer by default. Predictably, the results weren’t promising. Barnes notched nine saves but also blew four opportunities for an underwhelming 69.2 save percentage. The right-hander has never been a reliable option in that role, converting a dismal 45.5 percent of save opportunities in his career.
Barnes is still a capable setup arm with an elite strikeout rate but he’s not suited for the ninth inning. The Red Sox can’t reasonably convince us they expect to contend if they enter the season with Barnes as their top reliever.
The good news is that the free-agent market is flush with options. Boston probably won’t shell out top dollar for Liam Hendriks, one of baseball’s best closers and the top reliever on the market. There are still several available options who would provide the Red Sox with a significant upgrade.
Brad Hand, Trevor Rosenthal, Blake Treinen, Alex Colome, Kirby Yates and Greg Holland are all viable options who should be affordable in this saturated market.
It’s imperative that the Red Sox sign one of these proven closers to handle the ninth inning because they don’t have anyone on the current roster capable of filling that role.