The Red Sox need to bolster their stable of arms for the late innings, and it appears Jeurys Familia, who has spent the bulk of his career pitching in the seventh inning or later, is on the radar.
Boston is showing interest in the longtime New York Mets relief pitcher, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reported Tuesday morning, citing a Major League source.
Familia spent much of the mid-2010s as a closer for the Mets, peaking in 2016 when he posted a league-leading 51 saves. Though Edwin Diaz has held the closer role for New York the last few seasons, Familia still was a staple in the seventh and eighth innings for the Mets.
The 32-year-old makes the most sense in an Adam Ottavino-like role, where the Red Sox could use him in the late innings, but also in other jams as needed. With Ottavino and Hansel Robles both free agents this offseason, plus Garrett Whitlock potentially moving to the bullpen, Boston has a big need for someone like Familia.
Familia isn’t the only longtime Met the Red Sox are said to be after, either. They reportedly still are in the running for Steven Matz, who could be making his free agency decision soon.
