It is pretty much safe to say that the Boston Red Sox are having a poor 2022 season. J.D. Martinez has only hit nine home runs, and Bogaerts is struggling to hit for power. But what really needs to change in order to contend next season? One need that the Red Sox have had since the 2021 season is their bullpen and relief pitching.
The only bullpen acquisition the Sox made during the past offseason was picking up Jake Diekman. And guess where Diekman is now? You guessed it, he was traded after a miserable stint in Boston. The lefty had a 4.23 ERA after he allowed 22 runs in 38.1 innings. In exchange for Reese McGuire, Diekman was shipped to the White Sox.
You need your bullpen to be able to keep you in a game. The Red Sox relievers simply aren't doing that. They are allowing teams to expand their leads, preventing a chance at a comeback. For example, yesterday against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox bullpen gave up seven runs and nine hits in just four innings of work.
There are players in the bullpen that clearly look like they aren't at MLB par; just look at some of their stats! Darwin Hernandez currently has a 21.60 earned-run average, pitching just 6.2 innings. Ryan Braiser and Hansel Robles, both have ERA's above five, two players that pitched in leverage situations last season. Absolutely atrocious!
Although the bullpen has been mainly negative, there have also been some positives in the season. Journeyman John Schreiber has been playing great out of the bullpen this season. The righty has been used in high-leverage situations this season and has picked up five saves. He currently has a 2.24 earned-run average in 52.1 innings of work this season.
Another positive has to be the season of Garrett Whitlock. The rule-5 draftee by the Red Sox has split time in the starting rotation, but mainly in the bullpen. Whitlock is relied on in tough situations and has picked up six saves. He also has a 2.90 ERA while striking out 72 batters this season.
Without a doubt, the Red Sox are having a bad 2022 season. The Red Sox will need quality relief pitching in their bullpen if they want to compete next season.