New Red Sox lefty will be a crucial piece of bullpen
The Boston Red Sox had the fifth worst bullpen ERA in 2022, which prompted Red Sox General Manager Chaim Bloom to make a few splashes in free agency. As of right now, the bullpen has received the most attention and looks noticeably better. During the Winter Meetings in San Diego, the Red Sox signed reliver Chris Martin and long time closer, Kenley Jansen. They also had made a signing prior to the Winter Meetings beginning, which would be left-hander Joely Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has not been the go to guy or even among the top couple of options in any bullpen he has been in, but on this team next season, he doesn’t have to be. Kenley Jansen, who MassLive’s Chris Cotillo referred to as a delayed replacement of Craig Kimbrel, will be slotted into the closer slot. Chris Martin, who Cotillo also spoke with about his role on the team next year, will slot into that late inning set up man role. Where does this leave Joely Rodriguez?
The main lefty out of the Red Sox bullpen last season was Matt Strahm. Strahm, who recently signed with the Phillies, was pretty reliable when called upon last season. He carried a sub-4 ERA and also boasted his highest strikeout percentage of his career. That departure should open the door for Rodriguez, who seems to be the best left handed option in the bullpen currently on the roster. The career splits for Rodriguez show that he can get both sides of the plate out, so he shouldn’t have to only be used against lefties. The former Met struggled to throw strikes and walked at a higher rate than before in his career. That will be the telling tail in 2023, he will need to throw strikes to get more looks. Rodriguez also struggled mightily in the first half of the season, but he picked things up down the stretch.
I had to the chance to ask a former Mets teammate about Rodriguez and one thing stuck out to me: “A good person and an even better teammate.”
That former teammate is Stephen Nogosek, who get to sit right next to him in the bullpen last season in New York. With putting baseball aside, it certainly should help adding guys like Rodriguez to a club house that had lost so much leadership and personality this season and into the offseason.
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