Boston Red Sox rumors: A possible replacement for Craig Kimbrel

With the future of Craig Kimbrel in question, the Boston Red Sox are on the hunt for relief pitching this offseason, specifically a closer.

So far, the aftermath of the Boston Red Sox 2018 World Series win has gone exactly how they’ve planned.

Not only did the organization lock up Steve Pearce for another year with a dealworth $6.25 million, but just this week, GM Dave Dombrowski signed Nathan Eovaldi for four years with a deal worth around $67 million.

It’s a great move, especially for a city that prides itself on sticking with what works. And let’s be honest; re-signing the righty definitely worked.

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Now, Boston is supposedly on the hunt for relief pitching, specifically since closer Craig Kimbrel is still currently a free agent, and looking for big bucks.

However, the Sox have been hesitant to hand them out, especially since Kimbrel had one of the more underwhelming performances throughout the 2018 postseason (seven earned runs in only 20 innings pitched).

Despite his inconsistencies, Kimbrel’s output throughout the rest of his career should outweigh just one specific moment.

Regardless, the Boston Red Sox may have entered a situation where they were either going to sign Eovaldi or Kimbrel and why wouldn’t you go with Eovaldi? The guy literally spilled his guts out for this team in Game 3 of the World Series and achieved “heart of a lion” status.

Since Eovaldi was the one chosen, Boston probably won’t have the budget to keep Kimbrel as their closer. Dombrowksi also can’t forget about Mookie Betts and JD Martinez; two players that definitely deserve to be paid over the next year or so.

Kelvin Herrera comes to mind

With all of this in mind, the Boston Red Sox are on the hunt for a cheaper closer. Supposedly, Kelvin Herrera is once again on Boston’s radar.

This is interesting, especially considering the drop-off Herrera experienced when he was traded to the Washington Nationals mid-season in 2018.

His career trajectory has been quite intriguing. One minute, he was spearheading what would be a legendary relief situation in 2015, en route to a World Series title with Kansas City. All of a sudden, he’s on a struggling Washington squad that fell well below their expected win total.

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Herrera’s ERA went from a stunning 1.05 to an unprecedented 4.28 when he left the Royals. His lackluster performance certainly added an unwanted blemish to his resume during a time where he needed all the help he can get heading into the free agency period.

Now, much like Kimbrel in a way, Herrera must rely on his past greatness to earn the money he’s specifically looking for. Because his value’s gone down a bit, the Boston Red Sox may be able to afford him.

The one concerning aspect about all of this is Herrera’s constant inability to strike anyone out. He went from striking out 8.9 batters per nine innings in Kansas City to only fanning 7.7 per nine with Washington.

That’s not good for a late-inning relief pitcher, specifically in an age where strikeouts and home runs are at an all-time rate. Not to mention, he’s given up a lot of fly balls recently, which wouldn’t bode well in a park like Fenway.

However, he’s still under 30, and his fastball still clocks in at 97 mph. With Alex Cora as the manager, he should have no problem developing some of his stuff back to All-Star level.

We can’t forget how Herrera was a part of two declining franchises, one of which finished with one of the worst records int he entire MLB. Stability and movement may have been the cause for his unusual downturn.

Next. Craig Kimbrel simply not worth the money. dark

Either way, it should be interesting to see who else the Boston Red Sox go after in the closer department. There’s definitely a diverse market out there, and Herrera is a fantastic start.

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