Adam Ottavino adds much-needed depth to the Red Sox Bullpen
It is a rarity that we ever witness a trade between arguably the two biggest rivals in sports. According to Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, the Red Sox have officially traded for Yankees relief pitcher Adam Ottavino in a salary dump type of deal.
Ottavino is coming off the worst season he has had in his career dating back to 2010 when he was a rookie for the St. Louis Cardinals. In his 2020 campaign, he appeared in 24 games for the Yanks posting a record of 0-4 to go along with a concerning 5.89 ERA.
As his rollercoaster of a year has raised concerns, Ottaviano has still been an effective righty who is known for an unorthodox approach to his delivery. He has had great success dominating opposing batters with his filthy slider that could be one of, or if not the best in the game. In 2019 he was an excellent asset for New York’s bullpen, pitching in 73 games and posting an incredible 1.90 ERA.
He is certainly not getting any younger as he just turned 35-years-old in November. However, this move is well worth it for a bullpen needy club like the Red Sox. The right-hander is viewed more as a set-up man but does have experience being a short-term closer back in his Colorado days. In the 2018 season, Wade Davis battled with his fair share of injuries which opened the door for Ottavino. He posted 6 saves and had a career-high 75 appearances while still having a respectable 2.43 ERA.
Boston has a vacancy at closer but expect Ottavino to slot in as the set-up man, taking the load off of Matt Barnes which would ultimately make him the 6th or 7th inning guy. The Red Sox should continue making moves as this is the third player they have added to their roster since Friday.
They do only have about $5 million remaining until they cut into the luxury tax which they are trying to avoid. However, that is still enough to add another arm who would likely be the team’s closer.
Just because Ottavino will not serve as the 9th guy does not mean we won’t see him in save situations. He has done it in the past and has had great success with it. Now the question is who do the Sox sign to secure their late-inning problems as their closer? That simply cannot be answered but the Red Sox will remain active and no matter who they sign Boston will have a productive late-inning duo with Ottavino now in the mix. Which is something they have been lacking for the past two seasons.
Red Sox Nation has to be excited about this move and we shouldn’t read too much into his 2020 struggles. It is a small sample size to judge his performance, especially because we know how efficient he has been throughout his career. After a miserable slow start in the offseason, Boston is suddenly destined to compete in 2021 if they continue to wheel and deal like they have been these past couple of days.