Boston Red Sox: Setting expectations for 3 offseason acquisitions

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Adam Ottavino

A rare trade between arch rivals brings Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox from the New York Yankees. Ottavino will make $7.15 million for the Red Sox in 2021 and will be a free agent after the season.

This was a nice trade for the Red Sox. They essentially bought a prospect (right handed pitcher Frank German) along with Ottavino due to the fact that they are taking on almost the entirety of his salary.

Whether Ottavino will spend the full season with the Red Sox remains to be seen. If the team is out of contention at the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him flipped for more prospects.

Ottavino is coming off a down year, as he posted a 5.89 ERA in 2020. However, in 24 appearances (18.1 innings,) six of his 12 total earned runs came in just one game. With a smaller sample size due to the season being shortened, one could argue that Ottavino’s body of work last season was better than his final numbers indicate.

Ottavino has a good strikeout rate and doesn’t allow many home runs, but is susceptible to giving up solid contact at times. He’s looking for a rebound year in 2021, and if he is successful he will be a key piece in the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox.