Top 7 free agent relievers per Keith Law

[Bellhorn04]

Here are the top 7 free agent relievers as they are ranked on Keith Law's list of top 50 free agents.  This excludes Nick Martinez who was a starter at the end of 2024.

With 2024 bWAR/fWAR

1 Jeff Hoffman 2.0/2.0

2 Kirby Yates 3.3/1.9

3 Clay Holmes 0.7/1.2 (no idea why Law ranked him above the ones below)

4 Tanner Scott 4.0/1.6

5 Carlos Estevez 2.1/1.2

6 Blake Treinen 1.4/1.0

7 David Robertson 1.7/1.9

Tanner Scott has been mentioned here frequently as a Red Sox target.

I wouldn't mind seeing them sign any of these guys, but I'm really partial to Yates, who had a phenomenal 2024.  As with a few other of these guys, he's not a youngster. 

 

[mvp 78]

Treinen was a dog in the WS, but is just seemingly permanently injured. Robertson is on his way to the farm up state at some point soon. Estevez is ok? Holmes has a lot of good things to like on Statcast and was probably unlucky this season. Scott's only blemish is the bb rate, but I'd happily overlook it. I'm not sure many people outside of Philly know who Hoffman is, but he was pretty solid and leaned on his slider this year. Yates is solid.  

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The Sox need two legit back-enders to replace Jansen and Martin.

Scott will make the most money in a bidding war with big-market playoff teams, so Boston should move fast on Yates and Estevez -- although this is a Dombrowski strategy, so don't rule him out in striking first.

Robertson has been suggested as a veteran presence in the pen -- and where would we be without another old buck at risk to pull a calf muscle jumping out of bed in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom?

[notin]

Scott is the most logical fit for Boston, as our lefty reliever candidates are Brennan Bernardino, Zach Penrod, and Cam Booser.

Beyond Scott, the most intriguing lefty might be Andrew Chafin.  And honorable mentions go out to Aroldis Chapman and Danny Coulombe.  Although Coulombe had a rather affordable $4mill option that Baltimore backed out of, which gives me pause.  Especially when you consider how effective he’s been for them the last two seasons…

[notin]

41 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

The Sox need two legit back-enders to replace Jansen and Martin.

Scott will make the most money in a bidding war with big-market playoff teams, so Boston should move fast on Yates and Estevez -- although this is a Dombrowski strategy, so don't rule him out in striking first.

Robertson has been suggested as a veteran presence in the pen -- and where would we be without another old buck at risk to pull a calf muscle jumping out of bed in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom?

I’d be surprised if Boston got direct 8th/9th inning guys to replace Jansen and Martin.  With Hendriks, Fulmer and Whitlock all coming back and joining Slaten and Winckowski, the late inning RHRP role is not short on alternatives…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

10 minutes ago, notin said:

I’d be surprised if Boston got direct 8th/9th inning guys to replace Jansen and Martin.  With Hendriks, Fulmer and Whitlock all coming back and joining Slaten and Winckowski, the late inning RHRP role is not short on alternatives…

I'd be surprised if Breslow and Bailey don't focus upgrading the pen or at least stockpiling depth.

Both are former MLB relievers, so they know 1). successful back-end pitchers are year-to-year (even Paxton, a starter, said this, recently); and 2). successful comebacks from injury by Hendriks, Fulmer and Whitlock are not guaranteed. Whitlock's best season is still his rookie year, and 2021 seems like half a decade ago.

The plan seriously can't be to make a run with two healthy arms, especially one entering his sophomore season, and the other with undefined/multi-functional roles.

Now if you told me the plan was to make a run with a mediocre rotation, backed by a lights-out bullpen, I'd believe it. LA just won rings conceding a loss by using an opener and resting its best relievers.

[moonslav59]

To me,

 

1. Scott

2. Hoffman

3. Estevez

4. Holmes

[Bellhorn04]

Bumping this.  Holmes and Treinen are the only ones on this list signed to date, is that correct? 

[Bellhorn04]

Sox could afford to sign 2 more quality relievers.  That would make the pitching potentially solid.

But the fact they already signed J. Wilson probably makes 2 additions unlikely.  Can we have 1 at least?

Yes, I know, Kyle Finnegan.  I'd take him too when it comes down to it.  Hell, I might take Kenley or Chris back.

[moonslav59]

Hoffman wants to be a starter, so I doubt he's a fit.

I have not hears anything on a Sox interest in Scott.

Yates fits our 1 and done contract mentality.

Estevez or Finnegan might meet JH's dollar allotments.

[Larry Cook]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Estevez or Finnegan might meet JH's dollar allotments.

the real test of bres-slow’s ability is how many relievers can he stash in Worcester that can contribute when our best bullpen guys arms go dead????? 
You have to figure that we will need at least 5 over the course of 2025! 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

the real test of bres-slow’s ability is how many relievers can he stash in Worcester that can contribute when our best bullpen guys arms go dead????? 
You have to figure that we will need at least 5 over the course of 2025! 

We used 25 pitchers in the pen, last year, not counting Reyes and D Smith.

We used 21 over 4 I and 16 over 10 IP.

That's more than 8 on the ML roster and 8 on the AA roster. even you take away Pivetta and Criswell's games in the pen. The list included pitchers we added during the year (L Garcia, L Sims & Brad Keller.) Take those 5 away and we get to 16.

I've mentioned, a few times, that I think our deep depth is decent and could be made into one of the best in MLB, if we add 1-2 top RP'ers, that would bump all others down 1-2 slots.

The MLB 8 might be this: Chapman, Hendriks, Slaten, Whitlock (if not on IL,) Crawford, Winckowski, Wilson & Guerrero.

The AAA 9: Penrod, Kelly, Weissert, Bernardino, Shugart. I Campbell,  A Adams, Mata. (Others include: Mills, J Adames, H Harris, N Davis, W Olds, J Moran)

AAA SP'ers who could help in the pen: Criswell, Fitts, Priester, Fulmer, Dobbins, Drohan, Gambrell.

AA: Sandlin, Early, Wehunt, Mullins, I Coffey, Monegro, Hoppe & Troye

[Larry Cook]

25 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We used 25 pitchers in the pen, last year, not counting Reyes and D Smith.

We used 21 over 4 I and 16 over 10 IP.

That's more than 8 on the ML roster and 8 on the AA roster. even you take away Pivetta and Criswell's games in the pen. The list included pitchers we added during the year (L Garcia, L Sims & Brad Keller.) Take those 5 away and we get to 16.

I've mentioned, a few times, that I think our deep depth is decent and could be made into one of the best in MLB, if we add 1-2 top RP'ers, that would bump all others down 1-2 slots.

The MLB 8 might be this: Chapman, Hendriks, Slaten, Whitlock (if not on IL,) Crawford, Winckowski, Wilson & Guerrero.

The AAA 9: Penrod, Kelly, Weissert, Bernardino, Shugart. I Campbell,  A Adams, Mata. (Others include: Mills, J Adames, H Harris, N Davis, W Olds, J Moran)

AAA SP'ers who could help in the pen: Criswell, Fitts, Priester, Fulmer, Dobbins, Drohan, Gambrell.

AA: Sandlin, Early, Wehunt, Mullins, I Coffey, Monegro, Hoppe & Troye

The MLB 8 seems a little weak 

[moonslav59]

34 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

The MLB 8 seems a little weak 

Yes. We need a solid closer or two good set-up men. That would bump everyone down a notch or two and make us decent to good w the MLB 8 and the next 8 would be top 10, easily.

We are not that far away from being pretty good.

Improve the pen.

Improve catcher defense.

Improve corner IF D.

Add a power RHB.

Doo two of these and we should be a playoff fave.

Fix 3 and we might have a shot at more.

[Larry Cook]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Yes. We need a solid closer or two good set-up men. That would bump everyone down a notch or two and make us decent to good w the MLB 8 and the next 8 would be top 10, easily.

We are not that far away from being pretty good.

Improve the pen.

Improve catcher defense.

Improve corner IF D.

Add a power RHB.

Doo two of these and we should be a playoff fave.

Fix 3 and we might have a shot at more.

We can improve the pen, improve corner infield defense, and add power RHB if we do a trade with the cardinals for arenado and helsey and start Campbell at 2nd base! 
yoshida, grissom, Romero, Guerrero and Sandlin to St. Louis! We know hang’em Chaim loves middle infielders!!!!!

[moonslav59]

11 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

We can improve the pen, improve corner infield defense, and add power RHB if we do a trade with the cardinals for arenado and helsey and start Campbell at 2nd base! 
yoshida, grissom, Romero, Guerrero and Sandlin to St. Louis! We know hang’em Chaim loves middle infielders!!!!!

I've suggested that very trade, myself, even offering an overpay to do it.

We are not far from being there. I know Arenado is overpaid, but we can afford him, and COl pays $5M x 2 more years. 

One trade like that vastly improves our pen- top to bottom, improves 3B defense and maybe 1B defense, and we add a RHB with some pop.

It's a shorter commitment than Bregman.

[mvp 78]

11 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

AA: Sandlin, Early, Wehunt, Mullins, I Coffey, Monegro, Hoppe & Troye

I don't think any of these guys are on track to helping the big club in '25. 

[mvp 78]

8 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I've suggested that very trade, myself, even offering an overpay to do it.

We are not far from being there. I know Arenado is overpaid, but we can afford him, and COl pays $5M x 2 more years. 

One trade like that vastly improves our pen- top to bottom, improves 3B defense and maybe 1B defense, and we add a RHB with some pop.

It's a shorter commitment than Bregman.

Arenado: 356 xSLG in 2024 😖

[Bellhorn04]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Arenado: 356 xSLG in 2024 😖

moon said he'd trade Mayer for him if we get to unload Yoshida in the deal. 

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

moon said he'd trade Mayer for him if we get to unload Yoshida in the deal. 

After 80k posts, you get a little feral. 

[notin]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

moon said he'd trade Mayer for him if we get to unload Yoshida in the deal. 

So we could get the third worst hitter in that deal?

[drewski6]

10 minutes ago, notin said:

So we could get the third worst hitter in that deal?

Are you super confident that in 2025 Arrenado is a better hitter than Yoshida because Im not. I prob lean the other way.

[drewski6]

At this point, we need Yoshida.

[Bellhorn04]

20 minutes ago, notin said:

So we could get the third worst hitter in that deal?

Very George Costanza-esque, I know.  

[mvp 78]

22 minutes ago, notin said:

So we could get the third worst hitter in that deal?

I'd rather Mayer skip AAA and go straight to 3B. Take our lumps this year with the Big Three.

[mvp 78]

14 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Are you super confident that in 2025 Arrenado is a better hitter than Yoshida because Im not. I prob lean the other way.

I'd be more comfortable with Masa transitioning to a switch hitter than bringing Arenado on. 🙃

[notin]

6 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Very George Costanza-esque, I know.  

Hey, George figured out how to get Bonds and Griffey!! And without giving up that much!

[notin]

7 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I'd rather Mayer skip AAA and go straight to 3B. Take our lumps this year with the Big Three.

Why Mayer at 3b over Story?  Little older, struggling to stay healthy. Move him before the decline sets in.
 

If the Sox stay internal, Grissom or Romy are more likely at 3b over Mayer…

[mvp 78]

Just now, notin said:

Why Mayer at 3b over Story?  Little older, struggling to stay healthy. Move him before the decline sets in.
 

If the Sox stay internal, Grissom3b or Romy are more likely at 3b over Mayer…

I believe Story is a better SS. Once Story is injured, Mayer can switch back to SS. Grissom has a pretty bad arm, so I don't know how great he'd be at 3B. Romy is a low ceiling DFA candidate. I'd rather have a real player as my everyday 3B. 

[notin]

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I'd be more comfortable with Masa transitioning to a switch hitter than bringing Arenado on. 🙃

That’s a bit much…