Aside from the complete bloodbath that was the Wednesday night game in the Bronx, the same concerns revolve around the Red Sox roster as the season winds down into October—the bullpen.
Nathan Eovaldi surprisingly started at pitcher in the Tuesday night game to open the series and dazzled for six shutout frames before Brandon Workman and Ryan Brasier combined to give up three runs in the seventh. As a result, the Red Sox dropped the opener 3-2.
The bullpen concerns are nothing new, as the Red Sox have been a paper dragging once the starter comes out for about three months now. But with the postseason fast approaching, Dave Dombrowski and Alex Cora need to put the finishing touches on the roster as they start their quest for the franchise’s ninth World Series title.
Being as though it’s too late to go out and acquire a reliever, it’s evident that Boston needs to work from within to try and bridge the gap between the starter and Craig Kimbrel. But who could the Red Sox use in pivotal moments during the playoffs?
The answer is simple, and it’s the 28-year-old right-hander that was acquired back in July from the Tampa Bay Rays. Eovaldi brings an electric fastball, as well as a wipeout cutter with him to the bullpen. On top of that, his experience as a starter means that he could be counted on for multiple innings of work—something which Red Sox relievers simply haven’t been able to provide for much of the season.
Dombrowski said back when he acquired Eovaldi from the Rays that he envisions him being a guy who slides into the bullpen during October. Well, here we are, and the Red Sox desperately need to find someone who can provide zeroes in October as a reliever and Eovaldi could be just what the doctor ordered.
