Joe Kelly will become a free agent this the fall, but that’s a distant thought at the moment.
The Boston Red Sox relief pitcher, who will be eligible for free agency for the first time in his career, once was a starter for the Sox before being moved to the bullpen in 2016. And since the move, the right-handed pitcher said he feels as if he’s where he should be.
“I feel comfortable where I’m at right now. If somebody wants me to (return to starting pitching) I’m not going to tell them no,” Kelly said, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “I like the job I’m in right now. I kind of like the thrill, the adrenaline rush.”
The numbers certainly show his level of comfort on the bump as the setup guy. Kelly is 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA in 25 appearances. His only hiccup came on Opening Day, when he surrendered four runs. But since then, the 29-year-old has been dominant, owning a 0.35 ERA, giving up just six walks and striking out 27 batters.
If he keeps these types of numbers up throughout the campaign, Kelly may turn out to be in high demand once free agency hits. But Kelly indicated it’s not a topic he’ll address unless he’s asked.
“I haven’t talked to my friends. I haven’t talked to my family. I couldn’t care less. That hasn’t really come up.”
However, the righty is fairly confident that even if he has a bad season from here on out, a team still will give him an opportunity to pitch.
“Not to toot my own horn, but even if I played terribly I’m probably going to get a job. That’s the way I look at it. I could have the worse year of my career, and that’s just how the system works. I’m still going to be 30. I’m still going to be able to throw really hard. It sounds worse than it is, but I’m not going to be working at McDonald’s.
“Somebody is going to give me an opportunity to prove myself,” Kelly continued. “It’s something I put in the back of my head, go out and have fun, be you and whatever happens, happens. If I (expletive) the bed, have the worst year of my career, I know at least one organization will give me one more chance, so it’s not life and death.”
For now, it seems Kelly’s main focus is the Sox season in front of him. And that’s not a bad thing, seeing as Boston is about to embark on a four-game set with the 2017 World Series champions, Houston Astros on Thursday night.
