Red Sox lefty used pending free agency as his 'biggest driver' in 2023 season
With the end of the World Series near, we are about to enter a new stage of the offseason.
Pending free agents will officially be off the rosters in the coming days after the final out is recorded, and that list will include Red Sox left-hander Brendan Nail.
Nail came over to the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent out of Western Carolina. After spending the last seven seasons slowly climbing through Boston’s minor league system, the left-hander will become a free agent.
“It was probably one of my biggest drivers from the start of the year.” Nail said to BTM about his pending free agency. “This was it; this was year seven for me under contract so I needed to make the most of it.
His time in Portland to begin the year ended after a very impressive run over 14 games. He carried a .99 ERA and had a .91 WHIP. He did that while starting five games and even picking up a save over that span.
That stretch would earn him a promotion to Triple-A Worcester where he was serviceable when called upon.
“I understood all the way throughout the year in the highs and lows that I had to give it all I had.” Nail added. “If I didn’t get the chance to sign next year, then I guess that is all she wrote. If I could put together a good resume and good performances throughout the year, then it should give me the best shot to sign somewhere for next year.”
Nail did a good enough job in Worcester that he should be offered a spot back on the team this year. He is one of four lefties from the WooSox pitching staff that is a pending free agent. The only left-handers under contract from the bullpen coming back are Joe Jacques and Chris Murphy. In fact, there is only one left-handed reliever in Double-A in Brendan Cellucci who might be ready for Triple-A.
The WooSox at one point had seven left-handers on their pitching staff in 2023. While there isn’t a need to have that many this next season, bringing back Nail and having three options isn’t a bad choice. It will be interesting to see which path new Red Sox CBO and fellow lefty Craig Breslow decides to go for on the Triple-A roster.
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