Boston Red Sox: 4 Positive takeaways from the 2021 season

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BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 23: Pitcher Garrett Whitlock #72 of the Boston Red Sox shouts out after ending the 11th inning against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on August 23, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) /

Garrett Whitlock became the best Red Sox reliever

In a move that will give the Lufthansa heist a run for its money as one of the biggest robberies of all time, the Red Sox acquired Garrett Whitlock from their rivals the New York Yankees in the 2020 MLB Rule 5 Draft in exchange for only the commitment to keep him on the Major League roster for the entire season.

The Red Sox would have no problem doing that. Whitlock would become Boston’s most reliable reliever this season, pitching to a 1.96 ERA over 73.1 innings, the most innings among Red Sox relievers.

The rookie would earn so much trust over the course of the season from Red Sox skipper Alex Cora that he would serve as the team’s closer during the postseason.

All of this being was accomplished by a pitcher who prior to this season had never pitched above Double-A and had missed the second half of 2019 and all of 2020 due to Tommy John surgery.

While he spent the entirety of the 2021 season in the bullpen, many in the Red Sox organization believe he has what it takes to be a big league starter and could end up in the Major League rotation as early as next season. Whether it is in the bullpen or the starting rotation, Garrett Whitlock has a promising career ahead of him.

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