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Red Sox: Five candidates that could be Boston’s next closer

By Brendan Mizgala

BOSTON, MA - MAY 21: Garrett Whitlock #72 of the Boston Red Sox follows through on his delivery during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners on May 21, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 21: Garrett Whitlock #72 of the Boston Red Sox follows through on his delivery during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners on May 21, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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Red Sox RHP Tanner Houck
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 21: Tanner Houck #89 of the Boston Red Sox delivers during the first inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 21, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

Red Sox Closing Option #3: Tanner Houck

Tanner Houck was a stud starting prospect who more than earned his keep with the Red Sox. His debut in 2020 was one of the very few bright spots for the team that season. Last season saw him earning about a million travel miles as he was constantly shipped back and forth between Boston and Worcester.

Those days are long gone though as he finally earned a spot in the starting rotation out of camp this spring and is here to stay. Houck’s vaccination status knocked him from his spot in the order though and relegated him to the bullpen.

At first, he seemed lost in his new job but as he grows and adapts more to being a reliever, he’s become damn near deadly on the mound. His confidence has grown in leaps and bounds since the positional switch and now we have a guy that is coming out of the pen ready to send ’em down one after another.

He’s been used more and more in big-time situations the last few weeks and it’s been a recipe that has worked for the Sox. His reliability has gotten to a point that I’ve already called for him to be our next closer and now I’m sending up that signal again. The righty has a 3.56 ERA, which isn’t the prettiest number, but we have to remember he has those four starts under his belt and a lot of that damage came in those outings.

I would love for him to really gain a third pitch that can keep batters off their rhythm as his current slider/fastball mix does make it a bit easy to guess what’s coming. The thing is, his slider and heater are so damn good that even though you know you have close to a 50% shot you’re not hitting it. I’ve enjoyed seeing him in this new role with the team and I think if given the full stamp of confidence and approval he can run with it and succeed.

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