Red Sox Should Steal Elite Reliever Away From Phillies In Free Agency

Boston has bullpen deficiencies and must address them this winter

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

If the Boston Red Sox don’t add an impact arm or two to their bullpen this winter, it will have been a failed offseason.

Acquiring an All-Star-level reliever for late-inning situations is a particular must.

Boston has to decide what to do about Kenley Jansen, who will be a free agent. Jansen turns 37 years old next month, and if chief baseball officer Craig Breslow decides to move on from Jansen, it will be because Jansen is demanding too high of a deal or because Breslow has found someone younger.

The best move for Breslow and Boston could be to let Jansen walk and sign a younger star reliever who can be around for the next five years or so as the Red Sox’s offensive core grows into its prime.

Interestingly, the Philadelphia Phillies have two elite relievers hitting free agency who are both 31 years old: Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez.

Will Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski try to re-sign both guys?

Dombrowski is capable of anything. However, given the decent chance that either Hoffman or Estévez are not retained, Breslow must be waiting in the wings to pounce with the best possible offer.

In a piece published Wednesday for Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter discussed the decision-making process Philadelphia will face with Hoffman’s free agency.

“The Phillies had a pair of All-Stars in their bullpen this season in Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman, but that didn't stop them from swinging a major deal to acquire closer Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline,” Reuter said.

“Estevez and Hoffman will both be free agents this offseason, and there is a case to be made that the latter is the more important piece to bring back into the fold.”

The winter situation in Philadelphia will be fascinating to watch, especially based on how far the Phillies go this fall. 

In whatever case, Boston can stand to benefit from Philadelphia's inevitable depth chart shuffling if Breslow plays his cards right.

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