While Aroldis Chapman has shockingly been one of the best closers in baseball en route to his eighth All-Star selection, the rest of the Boston Red Sox bullpen has been a mixed bag.
Second-year standout Justin Slaten was originally thought to be the frontrunner for the closer’s job in Spring Training, but he struggled to miss bats and has been out since the end of May with shoulder inflammation. That left Greg Weissert as the primary set-up man, but after initially excelling in the increased role, he has looked worn down in his last ten appearances, walking seven batters against just two strikeouts. Liam Hendriks, meanwhile, appears unlikely to make any significant contribution this year, as the three-time All-Star allowed a 6.59 ERA in his first 14 appearances and is currently on the injured list with a hip injury.
Right now, the Red Sox have been mixing and matching Garrett Whitlock, Justin Wilson and new acquisition Jordan Hicks in the late innings, but none of the three have emerged as a true running mate. With one of the best offenses in baseball and a starting rotation led by All-Star Garrett Crochet and the red-hot Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello, another late-inning arm could make the Red Sox a true October threat, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan believes that Cardinals’ closer Ryan Helsey could be the perfect match.
Red Sox relievers walk too many hitters and don't strike out enough. Take away Aroldis Chapman -- the best reliever in the AL this season -- and the Red Sox have a middle-of-the-pack bullpen,” Passan wrote. “Getting Helsley from St. Louis would give Boston arguably the top setup-closer combination in baseball and go a long way toward supporting a rotation that has been among the game's best over the past month.”
After a series of early-season blow-ups, including a meltdown against the Red Sox on April 6, Helsley has been his usual dominant self, posting a 2.70 ERA over his last 20 appearances with a terrific 25-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Though the two-time All-Star has caught fire, the Cardinals have come back to earth after their nine-game winning streak in May, going just 13-16 since June 8 and dropping out of Wild Card position. Should they continue to stumble, they could choose to make Helsley, a free agent after 2025, available, allowing the Red Sox to swoop in and acquire the ideal back-end partner for Chapman.
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