Red Sox Linked To $7.4 Million Veteran Who Could Be 'Huge Boost' To Bullpen

Should Boston get risky with their bullpen acquisitions?

Saturday, June 8, 2024; Boston MA-Fans watch the game from the top of the Green Monster during the Savannah Bananas first Banana Ball game at Fenway Park on Saturday, June 8, 2024. / Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK

How will the Boston Red Sox go about addressing the bullpen that cost them so many games in 2024?

The Red Sox bullpen wasn't just bad after the All-Star break--it was downright atrocious. Boston relievers had an ERA well over five, blew 18 of their 32 save opportunities, and generally crushed fans' spirits from mid-July through the end of the 2024 season.

With veterans Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin both likely headed elsewhere in free agency, the Red Sox need to bring at least one more high-leverage arm into the fold. A veteran hurler who recently delivered the final pitch to send his team to the World Series could be worth a look for Boston.

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Paul Sewald, a crucial member of the 2023 National League championship squad, is getting set to hit free agency after a tough summer. Henry Blickenstaff of FanSided recently named Sewald as a "bounce-back candidate" for the Red Sox to tap into this winter.

"Sewald struggled last season, along with much of the Diamondbacks pitching staff, and he was limited to just 39.2 innings due to injuries. But that might have been an anomaly because he was excellent in the three years prior."

"At 34, (Sewald's) best days might be behind him, but there's a good chance he can be effective on a short-term basis. If he regains his form as an elite high-leverage reliever, he'd be a huge boost to the Red Sox's 'pen."

Sewald entered the Diamondbacks' game on Jul. 2 of last season with a 0.54 ERA in his first 18 appearances. But he blew three consecutive saves and finished the year with a 7.04 ERA in his last 24 games, surrendering a .588 opposing slugging percentage.

Counting on a bounce-back from a reliever on the wrong side of 30 is always a risky proposition, but Sewald was legitimately excellent from the start of 2021 until that ill-fated week in July. If he can be had for less than the $7.4 million salary he made this season, it's worth the gamble for Boston.

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