Preview: Red Sox Bullpen

Koji Uehara

With the acquisition of Craig Kimbrel, Uehara will be the setup man despite his excellent play at closer. Uehara is getting older, but as he ages he is getting better. Last season, Uehara had a 2.23 ERA, 25 saves and a 0.92 WHIP. Uehara is a savvy veteran who has a lot of different pitches. Uehara is a strikeout machine, he has struck out 10 batters per nine innings since 2010. In that span, Uehara hasn’t had an ERA over 3.00 and he hasn’t had a WHIP above 1.00. Although he won’t be in his natural position, Uehara still has a lot to bring to the table for the Red Sox.

Junichi Tazawa

Tazawa seemed to run out of gas late last season. He finished with a 4.14 ERA, 56 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP. Tazawa had a 2.60 ERA through July, but he allowed 24 hits and 14 runs (9.22 ERA) to finish the season. Tazawa proved he can be a shutdown pitcher, but he also showed he can give up a flurry of runs. He’s had great seasons in the past and he has the arm to have one this season. With Kimbrel and Uehara he will be far removed from save opportunities.

Robbie Ross Jr.

Robbie Ross came from the Texas Rangers last season, and he struggled at the transition to the bullpen. He had a 3.86 ERA, 53 strikeouts and a 1.30 WHIP. Ross is still young and he has a lot of raw talent. He will usually come in at about the sixth or seventh inning. Ross is a hard throwing pitcher who can be a little wild. In a new year, he should have a much better season than last year.

Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes, not to be confused with the NBA player, will be bouncing around the rotation this season. For now, he has a spot because Carson Smith is out but once he returns Barnes will likely not be in the bullpen. Barnes had a 5.44 ERA with 39 strikeouts and a 1.65 WHIP last season. Barnes has struggled the past few years, as he is prone to giving up a lot of hits. Barnes will do fine as he fills in for Smith, but don’t expect him to stick around too long.

Craig Kimbrel

Kimbrel was acquired from the San Diego Padres in the offseason. He has consistently been one of the best closers in all of the MLB. Kimbrel had a 2.58 ERA, 39 saves and a 1.04 WHIP last season. The Red Sox needed a closer, and Kimbrel was their best answer. Kimbrel is a hard throwing pitcher, whose average pitch measures at 97 MPH. He also has a 41% strikeout rate ever since entering the MLB. Kimbrel has been red hot in the spring, and he hopes to continue the success during the season.