The Boston Red Sox seem deeper than they've been in quite some time, all around the roster. Boston is taking its time ironing out the details, but manager Alex Cora has announced a fair few of his final roster decisions.
Most recently, Cora named Aroldis Chapman the Sox's closer for the 2025 campaign. The Red Sox signed the veteran fireballer over the winter to add lefty bullpen depth and strikeout stuff to their pitching staff that faltered severely during the team's Wild Card chase.
Chapman flashed improved command this spring and tallied 14 strikeouts with five walks in 7.1 innings of work in the Grapefruit League. The 15-year MLB veteran posted a 3.79 ERA with 98 strikeouts and 39 walks over 61.2 innings with the Pirates last season.
Justin Slaten and Liam Hendriks were also in the mix for the Sox's closer spot, but Chapman's great spring won him the job. Slaten let up two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 4.1 innings this spring. Hendriks struggled quite a bit in Grapefruit League action after he spent all of last season on the shelf as he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery. He allowed seven runs on 14 hits with four strikeouts over 6.1 innings of work.
While Aroldis Chapman is the closer heading into the season, Alex Cora is leaving wiggle room for leverage.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 25, 2025
For example, if Cory Seager leads off the eighth inning on Thursday, don't be surprised if Chapman takes the ball then with someone else (Hendriks or Slaten) in the 9th.
Cora clarified that Chapman won't get the ball in the final inning in every scenario. Ian Browne of MLB.com reported that he might pitch earlier in the game to leverage matchup-based advantages against certain lefties. In such cases, Slaten or Hendriks would likely pitch the final inning.
The Red Sox announced nearly the rest of their bullpen in the leadup to Opening Day. Browne on March 25 reported that Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert made the team, and the Sox's final bullpen start is likely to go to another lefty, Brennan Bernardino.
Red Sox announce Aroldis Chapman as closer, Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert make the team in the bullpen
Kelly posted a stellar first half to last season and struggled after the All-Star break. He clocked a 1.78 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 35.1 innings before the break and finished the year with a 7.59 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 21.1 frames in the second half. Kelly fared much better this spring, as he allowed two runs and posted seven strikeouts in 7.2 innings during Boston's Grapefruit League slate.
Weissert's 2024 season followed the opposite pattern of Kelly's — he had a decent first half of the season and was lights out in the second. He posted a 4.39 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 41 innings before the break and a 0.81 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 22.1 innings to finish the season. He's allowed six runs on six hits over 8.2 innings in spring training.
After something of a breakout showing in 2023, Bernardino faltered the following year. He clocked a 4.06 ERA with 56 strikeouts and 22 walks in 51 innings in 2024, but performed well enough in spring to net himself a roster spot as the third lefty in the 'pen, alongside Chapman and Justin Wilson. Bernardino allowed three runs on eight hits with 12 strikeouts and five walks in 8.2 innings this spring.
The Red Sox's roster is not yet finalized and the going expectation is that they'll take until the noon deadline on Opening Day to determine their 26 players for the first series.