A long held notion in baseball is that a bullpen needs a tough left-handed reliever to lock down lefty sluggers late in games. Is having a lefty-specialist a prerequisite for a successful bullpen? Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora doesn’t think so.
While Boston’s rotation is loaded with lefties, the bullpen can’t say the same. Robby Scott is the closest to a sure thing among available lefty relievers to make the Opening Day roster. He held left-handed bats to a .121 average and .527 OPS last season. Scott has a limited track record but may be the best option to call on if the Red Sox need a lefty.