Joe Nelson and Atchison aren't going to close or setup, the Red Sox have 4 solid relievers in Bard, Paps, Ramirez and Okajima and possibly 5 depending how Delcarmen performs. Not many teams have at least 4 different relievers they'd feel comfortable having out there in the 8th inning.
Im not seeing how the bullpen is facing "hard times'. Sure it wont be as good as last year, but it still a top 5 bullpen at worst and I would be confident calling it the best.