Red Sox trade deadline bullpen upgrades proving valuable down the stretch

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.