The Red Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve optioned struggling right-handed reliever Ryan Brasier to Triple-A Pawtucket. Southpaw Darwinzon Hernandez is up from Pawtucket in his place.
Brasier’s demotion is the latest in a series of suboptimal outcomes for a Boston relief corps that the front office neglected to address in the offseason. Brasier and fellow righty Matt Barnes opened the season expected to share closing duties, but neither has performed up to expectations. Brasier’s last couple of weeks have been particularly rough, as he’s allowed runs in four of his past seven outings — including four runs in two-thirds of an inning last night. In all, he’s sitting on a 4.24 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 1.56 HR/9 and a 28.8 percent ground-ball rate. ERA alternatives like FIP (4.72) and xFIP (5.40) paint an even uglier picture than Brasier’s lackluster ERA.
The bullpen will receive a boost when Nathan Eovaldi returns from the injured list later this month and assumes closing duties. Boston re-signed its postseason hero on a hefty four-year, $68MM contract with the idea that he’d serve as a key rotation piece, but he’s been out since late April due to elbow surgery and will now return in a bullpen role. The Red Sox already acquired Andrew Cashner to step into Eovaldi’s rotation spot alongside Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez, but additional bullpen help will surely be on president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s radar in the 15 days leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.
This is temporary. He’ll be back
That is honestly depressing
He may want to get that neck checked out while he’s down there. His head is always tilted to the side.
Lol… it was considered swagger when he was getting people out..
And now instead of him telling batters to get the F in the box.. The fans are saying get him the F off the mound.
Lol he really should.
the fact that BOS hasnt committed to Darwinzon as a reliever or a starter yet has to be frustrating for him and a good few fans. either put him in the pen or keep him in the rotation. (the former seems like a better option id say) after all, you cant expect him to preform at 100% if your constantly moving him back and fourth.
They have committed to him as a reliever for rest of 2019 and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him stick there if he succeeds
The Red Sox need help now in their bullpen and DH has really good stuff. If he can find the strike zone can be dominant out of the pen. This also doesn’t mean he can’t be stretched out next year and become a starter. The Red Sox need the bullpen help this year.
Hernandez was used entirely as a starter with exception of very end of season at AA after he had been promoted, which could have been for 2 reasons: 1) cut down on innings since he was already at max he had ever thrown and 2) See how he could do in handful of relief appearances.
Same could also be said of 2017 1st round pick Tanner Houck, who just like in 2018, followed a not that great 1st half with a turnaround 2nd half, then was shifted to relief a couple weeks back.
IMO.. I believe Hernandez will end up in the pen anyway. His FB sits 96-98 over 1-2 innings and can dump his changeup, possibly slider also altogether. Go with FB/Curve combo.
Houck on the other hand can go with that sinking fast ball that’s always worked, then long break slider and 4 seamer, which sits mid 90’s as a starter. Having him go relief this year is just in case and a waste my 2c.
There really is no other legit starters until go down to A Ball beyond them who can really help long term.
He’s 22, he’ll adapt
Johnsilver you are forgetting about Mata who is in AA he is a very legit starter and I think he will ultimately be their best starter developed in the farm in quit some time.
Correct Bruin on Mata, thought of him right after finished and didn’t feel like editing ( Mata will probably 2 full seasons away regardless. He’s so young (20 believe) and just recently getting called up to AA will be amongst the youngest players at that level.
Us sox fans will have to hope he’s one of the people Dombrowski holds onto and doesn’t move in any kind of deal as feel he could be a decent starter in a few years from games saw on Milb
There’s a lot of guys that break into the pros via the BP. Back in the days, a lot of guys did that.
What took him so long to boot Brasier? The yr beginning he was ok then with more wear, he’s been disastrous. I hope for his sake he rebounds but I would never hold my breath.
and the better option is…?
If you check his size at the start of the year vs. last night vs. Toronto, it seriously appears he’s put on a lot of weight. Wonder if this is his issue?
Red Sox bullpen is doodoo
It’s amazing how this has been DD’s kryptonite for literally a decade.
DD still delivered championships in FL and Bos. In addition, his Tigers team made the AL Championship Series. Outside of Theo, who else recently won the WS with two different teams. He’s not alone in having a so called weakness. It’s just more noticeable because his constructed teams have also won. He has to get big credit for last year when he went under the radar and got Pearce and Eovaldi.
Dewey, you seem to be reasonably knowledgeable so i am surprised you missed so badly on Dombrowski’s 2, count ’em, two, World Series appearances while he was GM of the Tigers. 2006 and 2012.
DD is to blame for mis appropriation of the off season money by giving Eovaldi a 4/$64 and not signing a reliever like Kelly, Soria, Herrera etc that it has caused too many issues in the bullpen. Perhaps he’ll acquire another reliever to bolster the pen like Shane Greene who could slide perfectly into the pen. Or there’s Anderson of Miami with his fastball slider combo again could be a great addition
Yep, sapped the Red Sox farm system, just like he did in Detroit. But at least he got a World Series ring in Boston. In Detroit, he wore out his welcome after failing to deliver because of…the bullpen!
Sapped?
Benintendi
Betts
Bogey
Vasquez
Bradley
Chavis
Devers
Workman
Barnes
all homegrown
Many were promoted, some were traded. Yoan Moncada sound familiar? Michael Kopesch? Benintendi, Betts, Bogaerts, Vasquez JBJ, and Barnes were already on the major league team. The Red Sox have one top 100 prospect, #95 (Tristan Casas).
Many were promoted, some were traded. Yoan Moncada sound familiar? Michael Kopesch
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Moncada is the only guy that DD traded that would be starting for us.
I like the farm as much as anyone else, but the sacking of the farm is ridiculously overstated, imo.
Most of those guys were on the red Sox before Dombrowski became GM. Derp.
Rusney Castillo is down there making over 11 million. What’s up with that? Can’t trade him at that salary and he gets paid even more next year.
Rusney is stuck getting paid but in the minors. He’s grandfathered in and his salary no longer counts against the luxury tax while he’s not on the 40 man roster. Puragatory but at least he’s got an amazing bank account.
It’s not like Boston hasn’t won the AL East 3 seasons running and a WS crown with DD, so with the way the wretched CBA is setup now, where charity case teams get extra picks, some teams get 2x the money to spend via the rule4 draft than teams which win.. How do u expect Boston and other top organizations to rake in as many top kids? Having more scouts and use varying systems only helps find kids, it doesn’t help much with problem of giving them the money to get the name on the dotted line.
So many here use that same miserable garbage.. Stop with the charity giveaway, then see how fast organizations which a history of producing top talent can reload after multiple deals.
I do think Boston and New York have an advantage because those cities used to support and extra franchise than what they have now. I think the Marlins and the Rays could go to Boston and New York and then we’ll see if there needs to be redistribution. Just a thought.
Yeah, sapped and graduated are two different things. Their drafts haven’t restocked the system as quickly as they’d like.
But there is something between DD and lousy bullpens though. 2013 would’ve been much different if DET had anyone in that dumpster fire of a pen. Thanks for that one DD.
But there is something between DD and lousy bullpens though. 2013 would’ve been much different if DET had anyone in that dumpster fire of a pen.
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We were never going to have a good bullpen this year. What little money we had was primarily given to Eovaldi. Kelly & Kimbrel were ridiculously overpriced.
We could’ve gone the NYMs route and traded key prospects for Diaz, but that’s not working so well either. This is part of the problem with signing a lot of guys. I’m fine with it, but you will run out of money.
Can’t win every year. Today teams have to budget and forecast years ahead given the money involved and luxury tax implications. Give the Yankees credit for winning games and making the playoffs each season. They will however have a similar issue as Boston when Judge and Torres start to get paid. Ellsbury will be off the books by then. As for Boston, Devers is going to cost big bucks when starts going through arbitration. He’s just 22.
It’s the beauty of baseball. You constantly need to re-invent yourself as you cycle through your prospects.
For all the complaints about the RS and Yankee spending, both teams have developed a lot of prospects recently.
IRT Ellsbury, if Cashman remains true to form, he’ll go back to the RS for the CF. Damon, Ellsbury, JBJ?
On the RS, we will slough off ~ $58M in largely non-productive salaries. A lot will go to increased arbitration awards, but at least we won’t checking under the seats for nickels and dimes.
And I am one of the few, but I am looking forward to seeing what Cashner can do. As well as he’s pitched this year, it is not impossible that we could pick up his $10M option. That would replace Porcello with a $10M in savings.
He was under a mandate in Detroit to win immediately due to the owner’s age and desire to see a championship.
The only guys I’m missing from the farm right now are Buttrey and Beeks. They’d be pretty nice in the Boston pen but….
Sarcasm? Because you can’t (I hope) be claiming that the RS should’e signed Kelly, Soria and Herrera.
Bostons Brasier Barely Baffles Batters Before Being Booted Back Because Bullpen Battles Became Barely Bearable.
Bravo
Braiser should be considered the luckiest man on the planet after last year’s post season. Japanese minor leaguer, turned long term bullpen piece? Who didn’t see this coming?
Mrs. Brasier.
It’s amusing reading about how this GM depletes the bullpen compared to all those other GM’s who have no trouble finding consistent relievers year after year. Um, ok. BTW, the greatest relief pitcher EVER, the first unanimous hall of fame voted member, single handedly blew the 2001 World Series and orchestrated the 2004 greatest choke EVER. But yes, bullpens are easy. Sure.
It’s amusing reading about how this GM depletes the bullpen
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Most of this boils down to investment decisions. The RS BP cost less than $10M. The NYY BP costs ~ $50M. There was never a question about whether the RS BP was going to be as good as the NYY BP.
The real question is whether not the NYY advantage of 0.60 ERA (4.53 v 3.93) is worth an extra $40M.
Barring a surge by Barnes or Workman, he’ll be the Sox’ saves leader for 2019. And that’s pretty pathetic.
Don’t they have jenrry Mejia? Pull the trigger already. Full YOLO