There’s no way to sugarcoat it: the Boston Red Sox bullpen is bad. It’s been bad for a while now and has only gotten worse this offseason. In 2018, Boston won the World Series despite their dreadful bullpen. Things were so bad that Alex Cora often had to bring starting pitchers into the game in relief as opposed to relying on his undependable relievers.
The only relief pitchers Cora could consistently count on were Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes and a virtual stranger named Ryan Brasier. Even All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel couldn’t get his act together when the playoffs rolled around.