Boston Red Sox Rumors: 2 free agent options that could fill the closer role

The MLB offseason is officially upon the Boston Red Sox and the rest of the league. With the Atlanta Braves finishing off the Houston Astros in six games last night, the baseball calendar has officially turned over. When one season ends, another one begins.

For the Red Sox, the festivities will get underway quite fast. By Sunday, we will know whether the team will extend a qualifying offer to Eduardo Rodriguez, and whether or not J.D. Martinez will opt into the final year of his contract. Depending on what Martinez decides to do, Boston will be face-to-face with two of their biggest offseason decisions right off the bat.

After those decisions are made, the Sox can begin to target other players through free agency and trades. In fairness, much of their offseason plan is probably going to be determined by what  Martinez ends up deciding to do. Regardless, after Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom shrewdly got the team out of the luxury tax hole it was in when he took over, the team will have some money to spend to shore up some of their holes from this season.

Arguably the biggest hole this team had on their roster was the lack of a closer. Matt Barnes was solid to start the season, but fell off a cliff in the second half, leaving the team without a true closer for their playoff run. That should change this offseason. Let’s take a look at two potential closer options on the free agent market that could be picked up by Boston this offseason.