Red Sox’s Relief Pitching Addition Explains How Deal Came To Be

The Boston Red Sox commenced their offseason hunt by making relief pitcher Justin Wilson their first free agent signing.

Wilson agreed to a one-year, $2.25 million contract to join Boston’s bullpen following a three-year run with the Cincinnati Reds. The 37-year-old veteran of 12 seasons didn’t know what to expect from the open market, but Wilson did reveal that the process of becoming a Red Sox was rather swift and easy.

“Truthfully, it happened very fast and within a couple of days, we had a deal in place,” Wilson told WEEI’s Rob Bradford on Audacy’s “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “I would say about two weeks ago my agent called, and he’s like, ‘Hey, here’s where we stand of where you’re gonna fit as far as in salary, teams that are gonna need left-handed relievers, left-handed relievers that pitch in high-leverage situations.’ We had been talking to Boston, and then it kinda escalated very quickly when I said ‘Let’s explore it more.’ Then, one thing after another, it’s done.”

Boston has a checklist of areas to improve on, and while a complementary bullpen signing isn’t blockbuster-caliber, it’s still essential. The second-half downfall that anchored the Red Sox and their chances of reaching the postseason was due in large part to the relief pitching. Manager Alex Cora gave a plethora of arms a chance, but Boston still concluded its 81-81 2024 campaign by logging MLB’s second most blown saves (31), finishing five shy of the 121-loss Chicago White Sox.

Wilson underwent a challenging 2024 season of his own, two years removed from Tommy John surgery. The left-hander went 1-5 with a 5.59 ERA in 60 appearances (46 2/3 innings) and doesn’t plan on taking the clean slate in Boston for granted.

“The contract that I signed with Boston is kind of what I figured I would land in after what I made last year and how I pitched and this and that, and some underlying numbers,” Wilson said, per “Baseball Isn’t Boring.” “So when they make an offer and I feel like it’s good enough, me personally, I don’t feel like you go test the market at that point. … In my mind, like I said, it’s a good thing to be wanted and I was grateful for the offer and happy with it so why not move forward?”