Red Sox shake up bullpen with series of roster moves
Two Triple-A standouts will join the big league team, while the Red Sox DFA'd a former Cy Young contender.
The Red Sox have made some changes to their roster, as first reported by Christopher Smith of MassLive and later announced by the team.
Red Sox
The Red Sox have designated right-hander Dinelson Lamet for assignment Wednesday. Taking his place on the active roster will be right-hander Kyle Barraclough, whom the team called up from Triple-A Worcester.
Lamet finished fourth in Cy Young voting when he was with the San Diego Padres not too long ago, but injuries kept him from maintaining his elite performance. He was sent to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the Josh Hader trade in 2020, but was released shortly afterward.
The Colorado Rockies picked him up that week, and remained on their roster for the remainder of that year. He stayed with the Rockies to begin the following season, but was released after a recent stretch of rough performances in June.
The Red Sox signed him to a contract a few days after the Rockies released him. He averaged a 3.72 ERA and had 16 strikeouts for Triple-A Worcester until the major league team called him up on Monday. He made his Boston debut on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals, but it didn’t go so well. Lamet allowed four hits and three earned runs in two innings pitched, good for a 13.50 ERA.
It is not yet known whether Lamet will return to Worcester or if another club will pick him up. But as of right now, his short time in Boston has come to an end.
Barraclough’s career has not been as up-and-down as his predecessor’s, though he has faced his fair share of triumphs and adversity. He made his big-league debut in 2015 and finished that year with a 2.56 ERA in 24.0 innings pitched. Throughout his Marlins career, he pitched to a 2.87 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 163 innings pitched. He even became the team’s closer in 2018.
The Marlins traded him to the Washington Nationals at the end of 2018, and that’s where his struggles began. He had a 6.66 ERA 25.2 innings pitched that season before being demoted to the minor leagues and eventually designated for assignment in Aug. 2019. He bounced around from organization to organization ever since, making brief appearances in San Francisco, Minnesota and most recently, with the Los Angeles Angels.
He began his 2023 season in the Atlantic League’s High Point Rockers, where he averaged a 1.00 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP in 18 innings. The Red Sox signed him in June and sent him to Worcester, where he took the mound mostly as a starter. He dominated in the 42 innings he played in Triple-A with a 2.57 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Opponents only batted .181 against Barraclough, which likely contributed to his outstanding 7-0 record.
In joining Boston, Barraclough will soon pitch in the major leagues for the first time in over a year. But he won’t be coming up alone. Smith also reports that the Red Sox have also called up lefty Brandon Walter on Wednesday.
The Red Sox drafted Walter in the 26th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, but he has since proven to be one of Boston’s premier prospects. Walter is currently listed as the 8th best Red Sox prospect on MLB Pipeline, and ranks 13th on SoxProspects’ list. He made his major league debut on June 22 as a relief pitcher, and he has recorded a 3.07 ERA in his two stints so far with the Red Sox.
To make room for Walter, the Red Sox optioned righty Nick Robertson to Worcester. Robertson was one of the two relievers the Dodgers sent to Boston on July 26 for Kiké Hernández. He started his Red Sox career in Worcester, where he struggled out the gate with six hits and two earned runs in three innings pitched. His major league career has also started on the wrong foot, where in just four innings, he allowed five hits and four earned runs.
MLB Pipeline lists Robertson as the 30th-best prospect the Red Sox have. But his recent performances suggest that a little more time in the minor leagues could help him reach his potential as a dependable big-league reliever.
The Red Sox sit five games back of a wild card spot as of Wednesday afternoon, and inconsistent pitching has been a reason why. Making these changes could possibly help get Boston a little bit closer to the playoffs.
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