The Boston Red Sox finished the season with an even 81-81 record and in third place in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles.
They aren’t playing in the postseason in 2024, making it three straight seasons without a playoff berth, and a big reason for that was the performance of the bullpen.
As a group, Boston’s bullpen was 24th in ERA (4.39), 29th in blown saves (31) and 14th in converted saves (40).
With the season coming to a close, we’ll look back at the year that was for some of the Red Sox relievers.
Greg Weissert: B
Weissert may have had a rough stretch in the middle of the season, but he finished the year as one of Boston’s best arms out of the bullpen. Leading the team in appearances (62), he finished with a 3.13 ERA, 3.72 FIP 1.342 WHIP and an 8.2 K/9,
Brennan Bernardino: C-
Bernardino had been one of the Red Sox’s most trusted relievers in 2023 and the start of 2024, but he fell off in 2024. The left posted a 4.06 ERA, 4.15 FIP, 1.412 WHIP and a 9.9 K/9 which were all worse than the previous year.
Kenley Jansen: B
Jansen started off the year on a bad foot, as he was already dealing with injuries in Spring Training. He had some solid runs throughout the year, but he ultimately finished with his fourth-worst ERA (3.29) in his 15-year career. He also posted a 3.00 FIP, 1.061 WHIP and 10.2 K/9. The closer also left the team early, which caused some tension.
Zack Kelly: C+
Kelly looked like Boston’s best weapon out of the bullpen for a long stretch, but by the end of the season, he was giving up a home run seemingly every outing. In 49 appearances, he recorded a 3.97 ERA, 4.84 FIP, 1.253 WHIP and 9.7 K/9.
Chris Martin: B-
Martin was lock-down for the Red Sox in 2023, posting a 1.05 ERA in 55 appearances. He came down to Earth in 2024, battling injuries and anxiety, and finishing the season with a 3.45 ERA, 2.78 FIP, 1.128 WHIP and 10.2 K/9.
Justin Slaten: B+
Slaten’s rookie season will be one to remember for the Red Sox after Boston acquired him in a trade with the New York Mets in the offseason. In 44 games, he had a bullpen-best 2.93 ERA and posted a 2.61 FIP, 1.012 WHIP and 9.4 K/9
Cam Booser: B-
Booser, a 32-year-old rookie who was out of baseball for a stretch, went back and forth between Boston and Triple-A Worcester. The year as a whole was a success, as he posted 3.38 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 1.336 WHIP and 9.1 K/9.
Josh Winckowski: C-
Winckowski was great for Boston in 2023 (posting a 2.88 ERA in 60 games), but his performance in 2024 led to a demotion to Triple-A. He finished the year appearing in 40 games and starting six. He recorded a 4.14 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 1.408 WHIP and 7.1 K/9
Bailey Horn: D-
Boston acquired Horn from the Chicago White Sox back in April, and he split time between Boston and Worcester throughout the year. He appeared in 18 games out of the bullpen, posting a 6.50 ERA, 7.00 FIP, 1.778 WHIP and 6.5 K/9.
Luis Garcia: F
The Red Sox traded for Garcia at the deadline, sending Matthew Lugo, Yeferson Vargas, Nik Kavadas and Ryan Zeferjahn to the Los Angeles Angels. He was horrendous during his time with Boston, posting an 8.22 ERA, 5.06 FIP, 1.630 WHIP and 7.6 K/9 in 15 outings.
Lucas Sims: D-
Boston also got Sims at the deadline, giving up Ovis Portes to the Cincinnati Reds in the deal. Sims wasn’t as bad as Garcia, but he still wasn’t good. In 15 games, he recorded a 6.43 ERA, 6.10 FIP, 1.500 WHIP and 5.8 K/9.
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