Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow already acquired lefty relievers Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman and expressed interest in Tanner Scott, who agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Scott’s removal from free agency, while a blow to the bullpen market, doesn’t conclude the opportunity for Breslow to improve that end of the team’s roster.
The Red Sox have nine weeks until they suit up for Opening Day, and in free agency, there are a handful of relief-pitching candidates Breslow and the front office could consider.
With that in mind, here are four options for Boston:
Kyle Finnegan
The 33-year-old spent five seasons with the Washington Nationals before being non-tendered by the organization this offseason, which set the wheels in motion for a departure.
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Finnegan earned his first trip to the MLB All-Star Game last season and concluded with a 3.68 ERA and 38 saves, the second-most among National League relievers and third-most among all relievers. The hard-throwing righty could emerge as a candidate to fill Boston’s closer role this upcoming year, giving teammates like Chapman and Garrett Whitlock flexibility to form a dominant late-innings crew.
David Robertson
Robertson spent nine of his 16 big league seasons with the New York Yankees so the Red Sox are plenty familiar with the right-hander — and vice versa.
Boston could turn its eyes to Robertson, who’s approaching his age 40 season, as a short-term addition to help enhance the bullpen’s depth. The 2009 World Series champion most recently wrapped up a one-year stay with the Texas Rangers and notched a 3.00 ERA with two saves in 72 innings.
Robertson wouldn’t be a bank-breaking signing either, which is always a plus.
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Andrew Chafin
If Breslow and the Red Sox feel the need to add some flare, style and character to the bullpen, then Chafin could be the guy.
The 34-year-old mullet-rocking reliever recorded a 3.51 ERA in 62 appearances last season amid a split campaign with the Detroit Tigers and Rangers. The southpaw is among the most durable workhorses left on the market and would fit in with the locker room Boston is aiming to establish. He’s got a solid track record throughout his 11 years of big league service time, wouldn’t be a costly signee and held right-handed hitters to a .288 batting average in 2024.
Chaffin would also give Dennis Eckersley, Luis Tiant, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice and Jerry Remy a run for the best mustache in Red Sox history title.
Kenley Jansen
There’s nothing wrong with a reunion, right?
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Jansen spent two seasons with the Red Sox, earning his fourth All-Star nod as the team’s lone representative in the 2023 Midsummer Classic. The right-hander served as Alex Cora’s primary closer, amassing 56 saves with a 3.44 ERA across two campaigns (99 1/3 innings).
The 37-year-old Jansen could remain a short-term option for the Red Sox. He’s already familiar with the division, locker room, youngsters on the rise and skipper. Plus, the team’s made a handful of improvements to the pitching staff, which would alleviate the load of responsibility Jansen inherited when he initially signed two offseasons ago.
Jansen is also 32 saves away from surpassing Hall of Famer Lee Smith for the third-most in MLB history.
