Red Sox trade deadline bullpen upgrades proving valuable down the stretch
By Sean Penney
The Red Sox found quality relievers at the trade deadline after all
When the Boston Red Sox emerged from the trade deadline at the end of July, Chaim Bloom felt the wrath of a frustrated fan base that insisted he didn’t do enough to upgrade a thin bullpen. Surely the chief baseball officer didn’t view his team as a true contender if he was content to settle for these castoffs.
As we head into the final stretch of the regular season, Boston finds themselves in sole possession of the top Wild Card spot while Austin Davis and Hansel Robles have transformed into key contributors in the bullpen.
Both relievers arrived at the deadline with ERAs hovering around 5.00 and shaky track records. Neither made a great first impression either. Davis allowed four earned runs in his first five appearances with the Red Sox, while Robles was tagged for five runs in four appearances. They each took a loss when they were shelled in late-August appearances.
Patience was wearing thin in Red Sox Nation as the narrative escalated that these “upgrades” simply weren’t good enough. It took time for the new arrivals to settle into their roles but both relievers are showing why Bloom was enticed by their abilities with strong Septembers.