The Red Sox have yet to make any notable moves to improve their bullpen this offseason, and it doesn't look like Dave Dombrowski wants to spend big on an elite closer.
Meanwhile, the Yankees signed both Zach Britton and Adam Ottavino, the Phillies acquired David Robertson, and the Cardinals signed former Sox reliever Andrew Miller. The only "elite" option left on the table is the one that won a World Series with Boston just a few months ago, Craig Kimbrel.
Though bringing back Kimbrel is still plausible, it might make more sense for the Red Sox to target a cheap, short-term bullpen arm instead. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, we should expect some dominos to fall in the relief market over the next few days. Two names in particular garnering interest for one-year deals are right-handers Ryan Madson and Brad Brach.
Sox fans likely remember Madson as the guy who couldn't buy an out for a Dodgers during the World Series. The 38-year-old had a nightmarish 2018 campaign, posting a 5.47 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 58 appearances to go along with his less-than-stellar postseason. However, the veteran could be poised for a bounce-back year considering his reputation as one of the top relievers in the game prior to last year. In 2017, Madson enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 13-year career with a 1.83 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 60 appearances.
As for Brach, his name might ring a bell because he played in the American League East for 4+ seasons with the Orioles before joining the Braves in 2018. Brach, 32, wasn't anything to write home about last season, but his numbers did improve after being dealt to Atlanta where he had a 1.52 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 28 games played.
Boston Red Sox
Neither of these options would generate many "oohs" and "ahhs" from Red Sox fans if Boston indeed chooses to go this route. That especially goes for Madson, given his disastrous World Series performance is still fresh in everyone's minds. But with Dombrowski seemingly unwilling to spend big for relief help, a one-year deal for either of these two arms or another mid-tier reliever could be the direction the team is heading in.
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