Red Sox’ offseason goals in doubt after questionable non-tender deadline decisions
Much like a cat with nine lives, Ryan Brasier lives to
fight
pitch another day.
Ahead of the 8 PM ET Non-Tender deadline on Friday, November 18, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe announced that the struggling reliever will remain with the Boston Red Sox in 2023.
*Tendering.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) November 18, 2022
Franchy Cordero and Yu Chang were non-tendered; they are now free agents.
The #RedSox today announced that the club will not tender 2023 contracts to INF Yu Chang or 1B/OF Franchy Cordero. As a result, both players will become free agents.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) November 19, 2022
The #RedSox will tender 2023 contracts to all 30 remaining unsigned players on their Major League roster.
Red Sox non-tender Cordero, Chang, keep Brasier
While Speier tweeted that the news ‘shouldn’t come as a surprise,’ many fans were less than thrilled by the announcement, and it’s not hard to see why.
After his breakout debut (partial) season with the Sox in 2018, Brasier posted a 4.57 ERA across 87 appearances between 2019-20, barely pitched in 2021, and is coming off a career-worst year. Over 68 appearances in 2022, he compiled a 5.78 ERA, 1.299 WHIP, and 3.61 FIP. He gave up a whopping 43 runs – 40 of them earned – in just 62 1/3 innings. No other Sox reliever allowed more than 33 earned runs.
In general, the Sox bullpen was a disaster this year, blowing 28 saves in 39 opportunities; four of those blown saves belong to Brasier, who only successfully converted one opportunity. Boston relievers posted a combined 4.59 ERA across 623 1/3 innings, allowed 318 earned runs, and issued more walks (268) than the starting rotation (258) in their 807 2/3 innings of work.
The Sox must have a higher standard for their bullpen (and roster construction, in general). No amount of money spent elsewhere will be able to mask a weak relief core, as evidenced by this season when the Sox exceeded the luxury tax and lost so many winnable games. Even though Brasier is only expected to command a minuscule salary, every million counts, especially in such a crucial offseason. That money could go to Rafael Devers or Xander Bogaerts, or perhaps a reliever with an ERA under 5.
In case Sox brass are wondering, these are the kind of decisions that make fans doubt they’re trying to build a contender.
