The Boston Red Sox have a recent history of revitalizing relief pitchers' careers. Two seasons ago, the organization signed flamethrowing left-hander Aroldis Chapman and turned him back into one of the best closers in the sport. And this season, the team has been able to revitalize long-time minor leaguer Tyron Guerrero's career.
On Monday's trade deadline, Craig Breslow acquired yet another setup man, Erik Miller, from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for former fourth-overall pick Marcelo Mayer. And while Mayer never panned out in Boston, there is hope that Miller can surpass his superb recent performance in Boston.
Andrew Bailey's recent reclamation projects
There is great value in being able to shrink games with a dominant bullpen, and Boston, with its latest swap, has a chance to have one of the best in baseball. With the late innings locked down, it's no surprise that the team has been on a heater for the past month and a half.
In Chapman's case, over his previous four seasons before joining Boston, he averaged 6.06 BB/9 with a 15.7 BB%. And ever since joining pitching coach Andrew Bailey in Boston, he has seen his numbers dip to 3.15 BB/9 and 8.7 BB%.
For Guerrero, he only had three seasons of MLB experience before 2026 and saw his BB/9 and BB% increase each season to a career high of 7.04 and 16.7% in 2019. So far this season, the 35-year-old has barely issued any walks with a 0.67 BB/9 and a 2.7 BB%.
Erik Miller should be a fantastic fit in Boston
Over the last two seasons, Erik Miller has been one of the better relief pitchers with the San Francisco Giants. During the 2025 season, Miller had a staggering 1.50 ERA in 36 games, and this season so far he has a 2.76 ERA in 38 games. The lone drawback to Miller's performance has been, you guessed it, his inability to throw strikes consistently. Over the same stretch, he is issuing 6.03 BB/9 with a 15.5 BB%.
Based on Bailey's track record, fans can expect Miller to have similar success as another power left-hander to complement Chapman for not only the rest of the 2026 season, but for the next three seasons as well.
After a successful trade deadline, Boston enters the stretch run of the season as a threat in the American League. And with the addition of Erik Miller, there are plenty of premier bullpen arms for manager Chad Tracy to choose from to close out games not only in the regular season but as the playoff chase heats up as well.
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