Worcester bullpen will offer plenty of depth for Red Sox
There has been plenty of talk surrounding the young starting pitching talent in the Red Sox system. That talk is well warranted, as the young starters have been pitching well this Spring. There is a lot to like about Bryan Mata, Brandon Walter, and Chris Murphy.
Is there enough talk about the young bullpen arms?
The Red Sox had one of the worst bullpens in the MLB last season. They ranked 25th in bullpen ERA, and also ranked in the bottom ten in hits given up, WHIP, home runs given up, and walks issued. The bottom line is that they were down-right bad.
Well, Chaim Bloom addressed the bullpen this offseason and are well positioned to be drastically improved. Injuries are always going to happen to every single team in the MLB and the Red Sox are no different as we have seen with the hamstring injuries.
Pitchers are no different either, as we have seen Whitlock, Bello, and Paxton all get set back with various injuries and may not be ready by opening day. That’s where the depth comes in.
Due to the revamped bullpen at the major league level, Worcester will carry some talent in their bullpen to start the year.
Chase Shugart has looked the part of a major league reliver this spring going up against quality competition. I had the chance to speak with him following his outing against the Twins and facing a hitter like Joey Gallo.
Shugart is a former 12th round draft pick back in 2018, and is looking for better results in Worcester this year after a struggle last season.
Taylor Broadway has been another reliever who has made himself known this spring. Acquired last season at the trade deadline, this is the first spring training for Broadway in a Red Sox uniform. I had the chance to speak to a former teammate of his in the White Sox system about his stuff and how good his arsenal of pitches is.
Broadway has yet to pitch above the AA level in his minor league career, so this season in Worcester will be his first taste at AAA ball. If he continues at the pace he is going this spring, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him towards the end of the season at the MLB level.
Durbin Feltman has been in the organization since 2018, when he was drafted in the third round. Feltman had some pretty high hopes after he was drafted out of TCU, as he had some Boston folks talking about how he was the most major league ready and thought he had a chance to help the major league team out that same season.
Feltman is an intriguing guy to watch this year in Worcester, as it seems he is right on the cusp of a call-up. If he starts off the season hot, he has the chance to be one of the first relievers to receive a call to the majors in case of injury. The talent is there, and a bounce back year is in order after struggling in 2022.
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