Boston Red Sox: Early prediction of 2018 playoff roster
By Oliver Gold
Relief Pitchers: Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi, Brandon Workman, Tyler Thornburg, Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Craig Kimbrel
Here’s where it gets tricky.
Tyler Thornburg is on the bubble. He made it here over Hector Velazquez, Steven Wright, Brian Johnson, and Drew Pomeranz. I decided to carry an extra position player on the roster, but if Cora decides to go with 13 pitchers, Brock Holt and Rafael Devers will be on the bubble. Cora has carried 13 position players most of the season so I assume he’d do the same in the playoffs.
Rodriguez and Eovaldi could be in play for a potential start, but they’ll probably only appear in a game if a game goes into extra innings or if the starting pitcher struggles.
The Boston Red Sox bullpen has been pretty good this season. Brandon Workman, Thornburg, Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, and Heath Hembree have been pretty reliable all season long. The Red Sox bullpen ERA is 3.30, fourth best in the AL.
The biggest issue with the Red Sox bullpen is that they do not have a go-to eighth-inning guy to set-up Craig Kimbrel. Many different pitchers have gotten the opportunity but there has not been one guy to excel. If Brasier continues to pitch as good as he has, he could be the main set-up guy. Brasier currently has a 0.95 ERA in 19 innings.
Also, you might see a common trend in all of the Red Sox relief pitchers. They are all right-handed, other than Rodriguez. This could help Pomeranz’s or Johnson’s chance of making the roster, but they have not been reliable enough. If a team pinch-hits a power hitting left-handed bat off the bench in the late innings, the Red Sox could be in trouble