Despite the heroics of Ryan Brasier, the Red Sox bridge to Craig Kimbrel still lacks dependability and consistency.
While the Red Sox were busy pulling off deals to acquire Steve Pearce, Nathan Eovaldi, and Ian Kinsler, other teams were adding to their bullpens. Whether that be the Cleveland Indians adding Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from San Diego, the Yankees adding Zach Britton from Baltimore, or the Astros adding Roberto Osuna from the Blue Jays, most of the teams in playoff contention were adding to the back-end.
Not the Red Sox, though. Thus raising numerous raised eyebrows, as Red Sox Nation felt the biggest issue the Red Sox had was in the bullpen. So to not add a guy, especially given some of the names that bounced around, really made people question what Dombrowski was doing this July.
As we sit, Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly are still workhorses in that bullpen.
Now while the Red Sox didn’t have the assets to pull the trigger on a trade for a guy like Zach Britton, there was a reliever that was moved to a contender that the Red Sox had their eyes on for a while.
Keone Kela, the right-handed flamethrower from the Texas Rangers, was moved to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 30 in exchange for Taylor Hearn and Sherten Apostle. Being a guy the Red Sox were heavily linked to, seeing that not even an offer was made for him was baffling.
Then Pittsburgh comes in and gets him for a fairly cheap amount, and you start to ask yourself: Why?
Kela has dazzled for the Buccos in 10 innings of work, posting a 0.90 ERA, and 13 strikeouts. Meanwhile the Pirates have all but made their deficit in the Wild Card insurmountable, theoretically wasting their trade of Keone Kela.
Overall Kela is 3-3 with a 2.89 ERAm which would be good for fifth in the Red Sox bullpen; but with the way he’s pitching right now, he’d arguably be the best reliever on the roster. The Red Sox definitely gaffed here when they let Pittsburgh take him, but they still have a handful of days to add relievers via the waiver wire.
However, for now, it seems like the Red Sox do regret not adding a reliever at the deadline.
