Former Red Sox RP #1: Hansel Robles
That’s right folks, I’m here to talk about the damn Deadman himself, Hansel Robles. It takes a lot of balls to walk to the mound to the Undertaker’s theme but for a lot of his time in Boston Robles was able to back it up. Some may not like this choice, and I get that, but I really liked what Hansel brought to the table when he had his stuff working. As long as Alex Cora can keep him focused I think the righty can be a big asset.
Hansel has spent his seven years in the majors split between four teams spanning both leagues. He came to the Red Sox at the Trade Deadline in a move that left most fans wanting more. However, we should trust in Chaim as he has a plan and very rarely strays from it. Bloom sent minor leaguer Alex Scherff to the Twins for a major league-ready arm, pretty good if you ask me.
Robles appeared in 27 games in 2021 and totaled a 3.60 ERA through 25.0 innings of work. He also carried a 3.37 FIP, 1.360 WHIP, and a solid 2.54 SO/W mix. He had a mixed bag of results in the Postseason as he was untouchable in the Wild Card Game but got rocked in the ALDS. He tossed just 1 2/3 innings against the Rays over two games but tallied a 10.80 ERA as Tampa wasn’t letting up on him.
The good news is, he rallied back against the Astros in the ALCS and finished that series with a 3.38 ERA in 2 2/3 against one of the best offenses in the league. When he wasn’t messing around and changing up his timing or routine on the mound to mess with hitters he’s actually a quality pitcher. His salary is incredibly team-friendly at just $2M in 2021 and I think Bloom could get him back for something in the $2.5-3M range.