The Boston Red Sox bullpen was a nightmare to watch in 2024 and this winter must be spent retooling the lackluster arsenal. Boston’s bullpen ranked 24th in the league with a 4.39 ERA this season. Only three relief cores in the American League had worse stats: the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays and 121-loss Chicago White Sox.
Fortunately, the Red Sox front office is already making moves to improve the efficiency of next year’s bullpen. “Free-agent reliever Justin Wilson and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a contract, according to sources familiar with the deal,” FanSided’s Robert Murray first reported Thursday.
Wilson has logged a 34-29 record with a 3.61 ERA, 561-to-223 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .231 batting average against and a 1.30 WHIP throughout his 12-year career, during which he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. The 37-year-old has endured Tommy John Surgery and several injuries over the previous few seasons, which have significantly hindered Wilson’s efficiency on the mound and his playing time.
It’s too early to tell if Wilson will have an impact in the Red Sox bullpen for next season. In 2024, the journeyman posted a 1-5 record with a 5.59 ERA, 51-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .286 batting average against and a 1.46 WHIP in 46 2/3 innings pitched for Cincinnati. It’s worth noting that Wilson had bouts of dominance throughout his career, so there is potential for him to be helpful. Perhaps joining a highly acclaimed organization such as the Red Sox will enable the aging veteran to lock into whatever helped him excel earlier in his career.
