Red Sox Hurler Elects Free Agency Then Signs With NL Foe For Playoff Push

Boston oddly never gave the southpaw a real chance

Scott Neville | Aug 8, 2024

Jul 31, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) is congratulated after hitting a double to center field to drive in the winning run against tech Seattle Mariners in the tenth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

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The Boston Red Sox have been anchored by a strong bullpen for the bulk of the season due to just about every reliever exceeding or meeting expectations set entering the 2024 campaign.

However, there was a period surrounding the All-Star break where both Justin Slaten and Chris Martin went down and the rest of the group imploded time and time again.

Even in that period where manager Alex Cora was in dire need of depth, the club refused to turn to a former New York Yankees high-leverage arm awaiting an opportunity in Triple-A Worcester.

"Lucas Luetge opted out of Red Sox deal and now says he’s with the (Chicago) Cubs on Instagram," MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported Wednesday.

The 37-year-old posted a 3.02 ERA with a 47-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .229 batting average against and a 1.18 WHIP in 41 2/3 innings for the WooSox.

Given his success in Worcester and his career 3.60 ERA across six seasons -- including a pair of elite campaigns -- I'm not sure what else the southpaw could do.

Maybe the lack of velocity was a concern but if that was the case, why sign him in the first place?

The Red Sox are short of left-handed pitching depth and now have one less option to turn to. Instead, Luetge will join the Cubs' last-minute surge for a playoff run while attempting to revitalize his career.

Chicago is 57-60, five games back of the final National League Wild Card spot. It'll be interesting to see if the veteran can produce or if the Red Sox got it right all along.

More MLB: Red Sox Must Either Activate Or Option 23-Year-Old Infielder On Thursday

Published Aug 8, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu