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Boston Red Sox: Top three offseason additions to 2021 roster

By Tom Cloutier

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 10: Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom speaks during a press conference introducing Alex Cora as the manager of the Boston Red Sox on November 10, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 10: Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom speaks during a press conference introducing Alex Cora as the manager of the Boston Red Sox on November 10, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Adam Ottavino #0 of the New York Yankees pitches during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Adam Ottavino #0 of the New York Yankees pitches during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Red Sox acquire reliever Adam Ottavino

2020 team: New York Yankees
How the Red Sox got him: Traded to Boston from New York with Frank German for future considerations

Trades between the Red Sox and Yankees are few and far between. The exchange that brought Adam Ottavino to Boston along with a pitching prospect, Frank German, was the first between the two historic rivals since 2014 and just the second since 1997.

Ottavino brings some much needed assistance to a maligned Boston bullpen. Last year the Red Sox relief arms combined for the 4th highest ERA and 5th lowest WAR in the league.

Conversely, Ottavino has been one of the top relievers in the league in recent years. Over the last three seasons he ranks in the top 10 among relievers (min. 100 IP as RP) in strikeouts and ERA+.

His numbers in 2020 took a hit, largely due to a singular bad outing in which he gave up 6 runs and recorded 0 outs. In a shortened season in which he threw just 18.1 innings, that bad outing ballooned his ERA to 5.69 on the season. If you look past the peripheral numbers and dive a bit deeper, his 2020 season wasn’t all that different from his 2019 season. His FIP was nearly identical and his BB% and K% actually improved.

Ottavino’s 2020 is no cause for concern and Red Sox fans can be confident in his arm coming out of the pen.

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