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Red Sox Free Agency: 3 intriguing options to solidify the bullpen for 2022

By Jeff Abramo

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Aaron Loup #32 of the New York Mets throws on the field before a game against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on September 11, 2021 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 8-7. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Aaron Loup #32 of the New York Mets throws on the field before a game against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on September 11, 2021 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 8-7. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Red Sox Dellin Betances
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 07: Dellin Betances #68 of the New York Mets looks on against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 7, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Mets 8-2. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Red Sox Option #3: Dellin Betances

Ok, this one is a wild card, but hear me out.

Yes, Dellin Betances is coming off season-ending shoulder surgery that halted his 2020 season, and truth be told, he has been injury-prone and ineffective for three years now.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean he isn’t worth rolling the dice for.

Betances is a four-time All-Star and was one of the most effective relievers in baseball for the New York Yankees before injuries derailed a highly successful career. The Mets, in a tremendously Mets move, massively overpaid for him given his injury history, and over the course of two injury-riddled seasons in Queens, he posted an ugly 7.82 ERA in only 12.2 IP.

He’ll be 34 for the 2022 season and is aggressively rehabbing in hopes of one more, hopefully, effective turn in the majors. He’s pitched well over the course of his career at Fenway, putting up a 3.52 ERA over 23 innings. The Red Sox have taken chances on reclamation projects before and absolutely should keep tabs on his recovery.

If he seems to have something left in the tank, he could prove to be a low-cost-low risk lottery ticket out of the bullpen, one who likely would be motivated to elevate his game even more so if and when the opportunity to face the Yankees arises.

Next. Declining Garrett Richards' Option Was an Obvious Move. dark

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