Boston Red Sox in-house closing options for 2023

Can Tanner Houck get his closer job “back?”

Tanner Houck became the de facto closer for the Red Sox and had solidified that position until the evil spirits that plagued the team and conspired to remove Houck. In this instance, it was an injury to his back.

Houck had the job and eight saves in the book, and the small sample shows Houck was steady, allowing just one earned run in 11.1 innings in save situations. I wrote about how Houck had Jonathan Papelbon’s potential and still may if his recovery is 100%. As one who has suffered back miseries, I will remain skeptical.

Right-hander Houck had swing-and-miss stuff (28.3 CSW%), tosses a killer slider over 40%, and can touch it up to the high 90s with his heater and its variations.  In his small relief sample, Houck issued just two walks – a definite plus for me. Houck also appeared to adapt to the role, and his loss instituted a bullpen shuffle.

The other unknown in the mix is if Houck is pegged for the rotation, which may need some significant shoring up. The splits show Houck is more solid in relief than as a starter, mainly since Houck is limited to two pitches.

Again I raise the word “if” regarding Houck. A healthy Houck locks down closer with no extravagant expenditures, mind-boggling trades, and a roster-wide search for a savior.

Is it rotation or bullpen or both for Whitlock?

Garrett Whitlock was the multi-purpose tool on the pitching staff, doing every conceivable role, including closing. As a closer, Whitlock’s sample is slightly more extensive than Houck’s. In 19.1 save innings, the righty punched out 22 and issued just two free passes. His efforts notched Whitlock six saves against two failures, both failures against the Yankees.

Whitlock is a power pitcher with three pitches at his command and a 30.4 CSW%. Whitlock’s best splits were in relief, but like Houck, he may be commandeered to the rotation. Whitlock also has just a .217 BABIP.

The Houck-Whitlock issue will be an off-season story line especially if the Red Sox lose a few bodies from the rotation. Both could be part of the rotation scrum, or maybe just one? Or none?

Whitlock has great potential and the Red Sox knew that and quickly locked him up with a four-year extension. The use of Whitlock in the rotation does not exclude him from returning to the ‘pen in a worst-case scenario. That is a task he has shown in 2022.

The significant concern is Houck’s back and Whitlock’s hip. Both had surgical intervention, and the medical promise is they’ll be ready for spring training. For me, it would be Houck closing and Whitlock into the rotation.

John Schreiber may have been Red Sox’s best bullpen pitcher

Occasionally a team gets a break scanning the waiver wire, and Boston got just that with righty John Schreiber. A rare success in the Chaim Bloom revolving door bullpen approach. Schreiber did his sentence in Worcester (AAA) at the beginning of the 2022 season before coming to The Show and getting more high-leverage situations as the season progressed or deteriorated, depending on your view.

What’s not to like? Schreiber tossed 65 relief innings, racked up 74 punchouts, and allowed just three home runs. With a remarkable 56.9 GB%, that gives a clue to the long ball drought.  Schreiber was cheap with walks posting a 2.6 BB% that was a good chunk of his 0.985 WHIP. In closing, Schreiber had eight saves and two blown saves. Holds can be a sketchy statistic, but Schreiber had 22.

Schreiber relies primarily on a fastball (in the mid-90s), and a slider. A change is occasionally mixed in (7.5%) to get hitters to know a third option is available. An interesting note is his fastball-slider difference was 11.8 MPH.  Last season Schreiber also posted a 30.3 CWS% so you have a closer who can induce the ground ball or go for the whiff.

Schreiber has just one year of service time, so team control is not an issue. Doing light lifting (set up) and heavy lifting (closing) presented no problem, nor did right-handed hitters (.193) or lefties (.196). Arguably he may have been the top bullpen piece in 2022 and should be a significant part of a bullpen rebuild. This guy was impressive!

Is he a one-season wonder? Schreiber will be 29 years old next season and bounced around the minors for ten years, primarily with the Tigers organization. Sometimes it takes a while for a pitcher to “get it,” which hopefully is the case with Schreiber.

Is Matt Barnes worth the risk (again)?

Red Sox Nation has given up on Matt Barnes numerous times, and in each instance, it was both earned and deserved. The 2022 season was no exception, and the righty picked up right where he left off in the second half of 2021, and that was by being a pitching punching bag.

Red Sox fans know by rote the 2021 saga of Barnes. Top-of-the-line shutdown closer with his heater (the high 90s) and a knee-buckling twelve to six curve ball. Barnes was rewarded with a healthy contract extension and an All-Star selection. The second half saw his ERA balloon to 6.48.

Last season Barnes pitched his way into Cora’s doghouse and saw his role diminish to pure mop-up duty. Then came a stint on the IL and a long rehab in the bushes where Barnes did little to impress. That the Red Sox didn’t eat the contract was a surprise, but the real surprise was Barnes’s last two months that were a solid August (2.92) and a clean September/October. Barnes picked up five saves, a blown save, two holds, and a loss in that timeframe. Is this a tease?

I buried Barnes when even the Rookie League bats were knocking Barnes around. Then he was a Pheonix and rose to show the same stuff he did in the 2021 sample. Barnes will hang around at $8.375 MM, but his role may not be defined until 30+ games have been played.