Red Sox make questionable decision to let pitcher go who could've helped bullpen

The Boston Red Sox signed veteran reliever Lucas Luetge to a minor league deal days before spring training began.

He finished spring training with a 2.61 ERA over 10.1 innings but didn't crack the major league roster. Luetge spent the first half of his campaign with Triple-A Worcester, and it didn't start well for him.

He posted a 7.04 ERA through 7.2 innings across six appearances in April — he allowed five runs in a third of an inning as his first outing of the month, which brought his ERA up significantly. Overall, he pitched better than the numbers suggested, and over time, his ERA ticked down.

By July 30, Luetge's ERA dropped to 3.02. In his eight July outings, he allowed just one earned run and posted a 0.72 ERA. All the while, the Red Sox's bullpen struggled. But Luetge never got a call. He opted out of his deal with the Red Sox on Aug. 3 and signed a minor league deal with the Cubs on Aug. 7.

Lucas Luetge signs minor-league deal with Cubs days after opting out of Red Sox contract

Boston's pitchers have posted the second-worst ERA in the league since the All-Star break, behind only the White Sox. The Red Sox's 5.96 metric is a staggering shift from their early season, league-best number. Craig Breslow addressed some of the bullpen's issues before the trade deadline with righty arms Lucas Sims and Luis García, but they don't address the Sox's southpaw deficiency.

Luetge is a lefty and he posted standout numbers in July. He clocked 47 strikeouts and 13 walks in 41.2 innings on the season, so command issues don't seem to be a factor. Cam Booser has been a reliable lefty pick the Sox have used between Triple-A in the big leagues, but Luetge has years of big-league experience he and Brennan Bernardino don't provide.

There's no telling why the Red Sox didn't think him worthy of a call-up. But now they've missed their chance.

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