Red Sox Free Agency Wish List: Brock Burke Is the Ultimate Middle Relief Workhorse

[Yirsandy Rodríguez]

Brock Burke led the National League with 77 relief appearances and recorded a 2.30 ERA with 61 scoreless outings this year. That's a pretty impressive profile for someone who isn't considered a high-leverage weapon, though his status as a true middle reliever is exactly what makes him such an attractive option on the free-agent market.

For a deep bullpen, like the one the Boston Red Sox have, Burke could be a valuable piece. His ability has been demonstrated frequently over the past two seasons, in which he has made 146 appearances that include one start and 25 games finished. During this span, he has recorded a 2.78 ERA, with a 149 ERA+ and a 3.94 FIP, which, if not for his control problems, could have resulted in a much higher bWAR than the 2.6 he accumulated.

That said, what most defines his work as a middle reliever is the efficiency with which he has faced all types of situations. Throughout the 2026 season, Burke had only seven relief appearances in which he allowed more than one run, and part of what could fit best in Boston’s bullpen is the stability he provided in high-pressure situations, as only seven of the 32 runners he inherited scored. Three of them came on May 15, in a complicated eighth inning in which he issued two walks and the Cleveland Guardians took advantage of him. After that game, only two of the next 22 runners he inherited scored on Burke over the rest of the season, and he finished that stretch of 56 relief appearances with a 2.18 ERA, 19 holds, and one save.

By contrast, although the Red Sox bullpen was much more consistent overall, they went through many similar problems when their relievers inherited runners. Several of the bullpen’s main pitchers struggled in those situations, and the worst of all was Greg Weissert, who had 15 of the 38 runners he inherited score.

We've talked at length about the need to add another left-handed reliever to this group, since Aroldis Chapman only appears during the ninth inning and Erik Miller struggled down the stretch. Burke is the ultimate workhorse option; he'd give Chad Tracy a wholly reliable option to tackle tough situations before the final few frames.

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