BOSTON – As the Red Sox continue to pursue free agent Juan Soto and explore a trade for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet, they made a strategic move on Thursday by finalizing a one-year deal with left-handed reliever Justin Wilson. According to a source, the contract is worth $2.25 million, though the team has not yet confirmed the contract’s value.
This signing marks the first move by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow as part of what is expected to be a substantial overhaul of the bullpen this offseason.
So, what does Boston need to do to acquire Crochet?
With closer Kenley Jansen and key setup man Chris Martin both hitting free agency, Jansen is not expected to return, and it’s unclear whether the Red Sox will make an effort to re-sign Martin.
The team struggled with left-handed pitching in the bullpen in 2024, but with Wilson’s addition, along with Brennan Bernardino, manager Alex Cora now has more options for next season.
Wilson pitched for the Reds in 2024, posting a 5.59 ERA in 60 appearances. Across 46 2/3 innings, he allowed 55 hits and 13 walks, while striking out 51 batters.
After missing most of 2022 and all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery, Wilson had a strong comeback season. He performed better against right-handed hitters (.754 OPS) compared to lefties (.919 OPS). Over the course of his career, Wilson has shown fairly neutral splits, holding left-handed hitters to a .251 average and .704 OPS, while limiting righties to a .220 average and .650 OPS.
The 37-year-old Wilson, who has also played for Pittsburgh, New York (Yankees and Mets), Detroit, and Chicago (Cubs), holds a career record of 34-29 with a 3.61 ERA and 20 saves. All of his 587 career appearances have been out of the bullpen.
In 2024, Wilson’s strongest asset was his ability to induce a 33.8% chase rate, placing him in the 95th percentile of all pitchers, according to Statcast.
In other news, the Red Sox announced the hiring of Chris Holt as their new bullpen coach. Holt, 45, hails from Portland, Maine, and spent the last five seasons as the Orioles’ director of pitching, including serving as the team’s Major League pitching coach from 2021 to 2023.
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