Red Sox trade deadline bullpen upgrades proving valuable down the stretch
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.
The Red Sox found a lights-out lefty
Davis hasn’t allowed a run through 3 2/3 innings spread over six appearances this month. He’s allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out three. This isn’t a case of putting up results in mop-up duty either, as Davis has appeared in three games this month that were ultimately decided by one run and he’s been credited with a pair of holds.
The key to unlocking Davis has been figuring out the opportune spots to utilize him in. The lefty has been abused by right-handed hitters this year but he’s been lights-out against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .130 average and .515 OPS.
MLB’s “three batter” rule has eliminated the lefty specialist role but the Red Sox can still be creative to put Davis in a position to succeed. Relievers aren’t required to face three batters if they make it to the end of the inning, which is why Davis hasn’t faced more than a batter or two in most of his recent appearances and hasn’t pitched a full inning in nearly a month.
Tuesday night against the Mets, Ryan Brasier bailed starter Eduardo Rodriguez out of a jam by retiring the final two batters of the fifth inning. Brasier was sent back out to begin the sixth to face a right-handed hitter. Manager Alex Cora then handed the ball to Davis for the next three batters, which included left-handers Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith. The lefty gave up a two-out single to the right-handed Kevin Pillar before retiring Smith to finish the inning unscathed.
Boston needs to be careful about when they use him but Big Fudge gives Cora another option to shut down left-handed threats alongside Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez.
Closing experience added to the Red Sox bullpen
Boston had no intention of inserting Robles into the closer role when they acquired him but it’s comforting to know he’s battle tested in high-leverage situations and could close out games in a pinch. He’s logged 12 saves this season, including a pair since joining the Red Sox, and is only a couple of years removed from being a reliable closer for the Los Angeles Angels.
Robles has stepped up as the Wild Card race has heated up. The right-hander hasn’t allowed an earned run in 7 1/3 innings spread over eight appearances this month. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in 15 of his last 17 appearances.
Robles doesn’t have notable platoon splits, allowing nearly identical batting averages to opposing right-handers (.237) and left-handers (.235) with the lefties hitting for a bit more power against him. He can be trusted against hitters from either side of the plate, which is why he’s logged a full inning in 16 of his last 17 appearances.
Relieving Davis for the seventh inning against the Mets last night, Robles retired the side in order and struck out a pair.
The flame-thrower can fire his fastball with upper-90s heat but controlling where it goes has been an issue. He owns a strong strikeout rate at 10.3 K/9 but pairs it with an equally concerning 4.8 BB/9. Robles seems to have found his control this month, striking out 12 with only one walk. If he continues to harness his elite velocity without handing out too many free passes, Robles will be a valuable asset out of the bullpen.
Reshaping the Red Sox bullpen
First impressions are important but they aren’t everything. These two trade deadline acquisitions were nearly run out of town before they were given much of a chance. They have since redeemed themselves by logging quality innings in the thick of a playoff race.
The Red Sox started to reshape their bullpen at the deadline but they didn’t stop there. Struggling starter Garrett Richards was moved to the bullpen in August and he’s thriving in his new role. Richards has allowed only three earned runs in 22 innings for a sparkling 1.23 ERA while racking up 25 strikeouts.
The Red Sox have trusted Richards late in games and he’s even notched three saves. This has proven vital since All-Star closer Matt Barnes began to unravel before testing positive for COVID-19. The Red Sox are now using a committee approach to close games with Richards firmly in the mix.
Boston recently moved to a four-man rotation, allowing Tanner Houck to join the bullpen. The rookie couldn’t reliably make it through five innings as a starter but he can provide tremendous value as a multi-inning reliever where he only needs to go through the opposing order once.
The Red Sox bullpen was ravaged by injuries and COVID-19 but they have most of their arms back now. A healthier crop of relievers combined with their new additions has led to Boston’s bullpen ranking fifth in the American League with a collective 3.36 ERA in September.
The Red Sox identified bullpen arms as a mid-season need and they weren’t willing to pay a premium for the high-profile targets or a rental. They ended up with a right-hander and a lefty who are paying dividends for this team down the stretch.
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