Free agent Justin Wilson weighing retirement as Red Sox face left-handed bullpen questions
Boston should look to explore adding a veteran free agent while leveraging internal options if the 38-year-old reliever walks away.
Free-agent Red Sox left-handed reliever Justin Wilson is mulling the possibility of retirement, according to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey.
Wilson, 38, spent the entirety of last season with Boston and emerged as a pleasant surprise out of the bullpen. The veteran appeared in 61 games, posting a 4–1 record with a 3.35 ERA, 57 strikeouts, and 20 walks across 48 1/3 innings. Despite that production, McCaffrey reports that Wilson is unlikely to pitch in 2026 unless he receives a “fair deal with a legitimate World Series contender.”
Boston signed Wilson last offseason to a one-year, $2.25 million deal, adding an experienced left-hander to a bullpen that featured Garrett Whitlock, Aroldis Chapman, and Justin Slaten. Wilson’s steady presence helped stabilize the middle innings while allowing manager Alex Cora to deploy Chapman and Whitlock in high-leverage roles.
With Wilson now uncertain, the Red Sox have a pressing need to add another veteran left-handed reliever before Opening Day. The club already thinned its bullpen depth this winter by trading Brennan Bernardino to the Rockies and Chris Murphy to the White Sox.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made smaller moves to address that gap, acquiring Tyler Samaniego in the Johan Oviedo trade with the Pirates. Boston has also signed Alec Gamboa and T.J. Sikkema to minor-league deals, with both receiving invites to big league camp and a chance to compete for bullpen roles.
Internally, the Red Sox could explore additional options depending on how camp unfolds for Payton Tolle and Shane Drohan. Unless Tolle forces his way into the rotation, he’s expected to open the season with the Worcester Red Sox, while Drohan—added to the 40-man roster in November—offers flexibility as both a starter and a bulk-innings reliever.
The organization is also optimistic about Jovani Moran, who made his Red Sox debut last summer after missing two seasons following Tommy John surgery. Moran appeared in two games for Boston, recording a 6.75 ERA with five strikeouts and three walks, though his underlying 2.89 FIP suggested better days ahead. He’s backed that up this winter in the Puerto Rican Winter League, dominating to the tune of a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings with 15 strikeouts.
On the free-agent market, one veteran name linked to Boston at various points this offseason is Danny Coulombe. Coulombe split time between the Twins and Rangers last season and was effective in 55 appearances, posting a 2.30 ERA over 43 innings. While his Statcast profile doesn’t jump off the page, the 11-year veteran—who previously pitched in the AL East with the Orioles—would provide proven depth to a bullpen that could use reinforcement before camp opens.
Boston’s bullpen was one of the best units in baseball last season, finishing with the second-best ERA in the majors (3.41). That success was headlined by Chapman’s dominance in the ninth inning and Whitlock’s emergence as a shutdown setup man. Whether the Red Sox can maintain that level in 2026 may hinge on how they replace Wilson—if the veteran ultimately decides his 13-year career has reached its final chapter.
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