With the 2018-19 free agency period in full swing, the market for relief pitchers may be the most interesting piece of the puzzle. From the Rays use of openers to the Boston Red Sox’s postseason rover role, the definition of a relief pitcher was turned on its head in the 2018 season.
Nevertheless, the Red Sox were one of the more traditional teams in terms of deploying their starters and relievers in 2018. They have four starters (Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez) returning from last season.