In today’s game, the bullpen is such an important part of every team. Having a reliable ‘pen is often the key to making it far in the playoffs. The Boston Red Sox have a pretty decent bullpen, ranking 6th in the majors in ERA, but they have been in need of a reliable 8th inning guy for multiple years now.
Dave Dombrowski has tried to fill that gap by acquiring Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg in past years, but neither of them has paid off or been able to play much. Matt Barnes has been the 8th inning reliever for most of the season, although his dependability is questionable with his 3.