Red Sox News: Ryan Brasier finally relieved of his bullpen duties
With all of their guys getting healthy, the Boston Red Sox will have some hard decisions to make in their starting rotation and bullpen.
With guys like James Paxton and Joelys Rodriguez getting healthy, it makes for some tough choices. But one tough choice that was actually not tough at all was designating Ryan Brasier for assignment.
The 35 year old Brasier was designated after Sunday night’s loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. This leaves Chris Sale and Rafael Devers as the only remaining members of the 2018 World Series team.
Boston Red Sox getting rid of an ineffective reliever in Ryan Brasier
It’s sad to say, but Ryan Brasier is no longer effective for this Boston Red Sox team. Every time he comes into the game, it’s either in mop up duty or if the Red Sox are up really big.
But the biggest thing that’s going against Brasier is a 7.29 ERA. 7.29! That’s not going to get the job done.
Another bad thing with Brasier is his inability to finish off hitters in a lineup. Brasier will get to two strikes a lot of times with hitters and then struggle to put them all away.
Not only does he struggle with his ability to put hitters away, but the contact given up is very hard hit. A lot of times, hitters are barreling up the baseball against the 35 year old right-handed reliever.
So the combination of not putting hitters away and hitters barreling up baseballs is one that leads to losing your job. Unfortunately for Brasier, that was the exact result.
Red Sox have other options besides Ryan Brasier
On the other side of the equation here, it’s not like the Red Sox are in deep trouble with Brasier now gone. There are some options to come out of the ‘pen and replace that spot.
Want your voice heard? Join the Chowder And Champions team!
Joelys Rodriguez is the guy taking Brasier’s spot in the bullpen. But don’t forget, the starting rotation is becoming overcrowded and needs a guy or two to jump out of the rotation.
We all know that Nick Pivetta doesn’t WANT to go to the bullpen. But he could be a solid piece in a middle relief role.
We’ve seen what Garrett Whitlock can do in the set-up/closer role. Could the Red Sox put him back in that role to avoid wear and tear on his arm? It’s a realistic possibility!
The point is, there’s tons of options for the Red Sox to choose from that can make their pitching as a whole better.
Ryan Brasier mess went on a bit too long
It was time. Simple as that. It was time for Brasier to go. He needs a new start and the Red Sox need to move on from him all together.
Next. James Paxton delivers in Boston Red Sox debut. dark
We can always appreciate what Ryan Brasier did for the bullpen in that magical 2018 World Series run. But when you stop performing, it’s time to find someone who will perform.
Rejoice Red Sox fans, seeing Brasier struggle on a consistent basis in 2023 is over! We can move on.