The Boston Red Sox’s bullpen took a pretty big hit with Steven Wright’s suspension, so will that prompt Dave Dombrowski to make any moves?
Possibly.
The Red Sox will be without the knuckleballer for 80 games after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Because of his suspension, Wright won’t be eligible for the playoff roster if Boston makes it that far.
Due to the departures of Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly this offseason, many wondered if the Red Sox would be spenders on the bullpen market. Dombrowski, the team’s president of baseball operations, has remained steadfast in his stance that the Red Sox wouldn’t spend a ton of money on relief pitching. Meanwhile, he’s expressed confidence in the team’s internal options.
When asked by reporters in Ft. Myers, Fla., on Friday how Wright’s suspension might impact Boston’s approach to relief pitching, Dombrowski had this to say.
“We’re always looking, which we will continue to do. If there’s one area we’ve always been looking to, it would be bullpen,” Dombrowski said, via The Boston Globe. “I’ve always said we weren’t looking to make a big-dollar expenditure. I didn’t say we wouldn’t add. I don’t think that’s changed.”
Plenty of serviceable relievers remain on the open market due to the slow offseason, and at this juncture many probably would sign for cheap. So if Dombrowski does decide he wants to go after a bullpen arm, he likely could find what he’s looking for.
