After he was traded to the Red Sox, a self-aware Richard Bleier wanted to give his new teammates a heads-up.
Bleier is very chatty, something Boston manager Alex Cora already has picked up on despite the pair being around each other for less than a month. Bleier reported to the Red Sox spring training site in Fort Myers, Fla., in mid-February, roughly two weeks after he was acquired in a Boston-Miami trade that sent Matt Barnes to the Marlins.
But before Red Sox players could learn Bleier is one to flap his gums, the left-handed relief pitcher got out in front of it.
"I warned them," Bleier told MLB.com. "I went in there (to introduce myself) and I was like, 'Look, I just want to wish you guys luck this year. If you can ignore 90 percent of the things I say, it'll be a good season. We'll all get along just fine.'"
Bleier has appeared in two spring training games for Boston entering Thursday, allowing one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk across three total innings. He figures to play a legitimate role in a revamped Red Sox bullpen that could prove to be a strength for Boston in the 2023 season.
