Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox Fantasy Baseball Daily Bullpen Updates and Closer Depth Chart

*= closer-by-committee

Previous updates:

Boston Red Sox – Pending a physical, the Red Sox have signed Aroldis Chapman to a one-year deal. He provides much-needed velocity and a left-handed leverage presence for the franchise. His role remains undetermined, but he may factor into save chances against left-handed hitting lineup pockets. Until Alex Cora announces his intentions about roles for the upcoming season, fantasy managers should plan on a match-up-based approach. 

Adjusted Hierarchy: *Liam Hendriks | *Justin Slaten | *Aroldis Chapman

*= closer-by-committee

Boston Red Sox – Forecasting the Red Sox closer comes with apprehension. Although the team signed Liam Hendriks for the role in 2025, he suffered a setback with “forearm soreness”, preventing his return this season. Can he remain healthy throughout next year? Will he be effective? Those in keeper leagues should stash Justin Slaten. He flourished as a Rule 5 pick with a 1.01 WHIP and 22.3 K-BB percentage as a rookie. A wild card in this mix could be Garrett Whitlock. His splits by role: 

• Whitlock as a SP: 109 IP, 102:23 K:BB (17.4 K-BB%), .328 weighted on-base average, 1.27 WHIP
• Whitlock as a RP: 132.2 IP, 150:29 K:BB (22.7 K-BB%), .273 weighted on-base average, 1.05 WHIP

As of today, pedigree propels Hendriks atop the hierarchy, but his hold will be tenuous unless he’s terrific at Spring Training. 

September 29, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Finishing a two-run win against the Rays, Justin Slaten secured his second save with a scoreless ninth, working around a lead-off bunt single by Dylan Carlson, retiring the next three hitters. He threw 16 pitches (11 strikes – 68.8 Strike%) and induced one whiff. Over his last 13 games, he was scoreless in ten while earning a win and recording a save with 13 strikeouts against zero walks.

• Chris Martin notched his 15th hold, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless eighth.
• Luis Guerrero retired the side for his third hold in the seventh.
• Josh Winckowski navigated around two hits and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless sixth for his fourth hold. 

Projected 2025 Hierarchy: Liam Hendriks | Justin Slaten | Garrett Whitlock

September 24, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Pressed into action with two runners and one out at the bottom of the tenth, Chase Shugart recorded his first career save in an eventual one-run win. He let one inherited runner score after issuing two walks and inducing two outs.

• Zach Penrod allowed a hit, two runs (one earned), and a walk during his one-third of the tenth for his second hold.
• Chris Martin collected his third win, walking and striking out one in a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
• Luis Guerrero walked one but worked a scoreless eighth. Luis García retired the side in the seventh.
• Justin Slaten gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless sixth.

Hierarchy remains: *Chris Martin | *Justin Slaten | Lucas Sims

*= closer-by-committee

September 22, 2024

Boston Red Sox – After completing a doubleheader sweep, the Red Sox announced Kenley Jansen will be placed on the 15-day injured list because of his shoulder, ending his season and likely his tenure with the team. In this tweet by Pete Abraham, Chris Martin and Justin Slaten will share closing duties. 

Updated Hierarchy: *Chris Martin | *Justin Slaten | Lucas Sims

*= closer-by-committee

September 20, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Entering at the top of the 12th, Cooper Criswell suffered his fifth loss. He allowed three hits, three runs (two earned), and a walk while striking out one.

• Greg Weissert walked one and struck out two in a scoreless 11th.
• Josh Winckowski allowed a hit during a scoreless tenth.
• Kenley Jansen retired the side on 11 pitches (81.8 Strike%) with one whiff in the ninth.
• Lucas Sims worked a scoreless eighth, walking and striking out one.
• Chris Martin was tagged with his fourth blown save, giving up two hits and an earned run while striking out one in the seventh.
• Luis Guererro secured his first hold, navigating around two hits for a scoreless sixth.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

September 18, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Sealing a one-run win over the Rays, Kenley Jansen worked around two walks and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless bottom of the ninth, securing his 27th save. He threw 25 pitches (44 Strike%) and only induced one whiff. He’s been scoreless in his last four appearances and converted both save chances this month.

• Chris Martin earned his 14th hold, tossing a scoreless eighth, giving up a hit and striking out one.
• Justin Slaten collected his sixth win, yielding two hits and striking out two in a scoreless seventh.
• Cooper Criswell retired the side and recorded two strikeouts in the sixth.
• Zach Penrod allowed a hit during a scoreless fifth.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

September 13, 2024

Boston Red Sox – In ascending order of appearances, Justin Slaten appeared for a third straight day, worked around two hits, and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless sixth for his 13th hold.

• Zack Kelly took over in the seventh, allowing a hit and two walks without recording an out, forcing his removal from the contest.
• Cam Booser entered with the bases loaded and issued Juan Soto an RBI walk, then served up Aaron Judge’s go-ahead grand slam, resulting in his third loss and a second blown save. He finished with a hit, two earned runs, and a walk while striking out one in one-third of the seventh.
• Greg Weissert gave up a hit and retired two batters in the seventh.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

September 12, 2024

Boston Red Sox – With the score tied at the bottom of the tenth, Josh Winckowski suffered his second loss, giving up Juan Soto’s walk-off RBI double. Kenley Jansen fired a clean bottom of the ninth, striking out one on nine pitches (77.8 Strike%) with one whiff. He’s been scoreless in three of four outings this month.

• Chris Martin retired the side and recorded two strikeouts in the eighth.
• Justin Slaten allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless seventh.
• Zack Kelly stranded a bases-loaded situation in the sixth, retiring his only batter.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

September 11, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Despite letting the “place” runner score at the top of the tenth, Greg Weissert collected his fourth win on a walk-off rally in the bottom of the inning. He gave up Emmanuel Rivera’s RBI single during his outing without further damage.

• Kenley Jansen allowed a one-out single at the top of the ninth, then induced an inning-ending double-play groundout, keeping the game tied. He threw 11 pitches (72.7 Strike%) and induced one whiff.
• Justin Slaten suffered his fourth blown save, giving up Anthony Santander’s game-tying solo home run in the eighth.
• Chris Martin worked a scoreless seventh, yielding a hit and striking out one for his 13th hold. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Josh Winckowski

September 9, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Finishing a lopsided victory, Josh Winckowski recorded his second save while tossing three innings. He allowed two hits, including Anthony Santander’s solo home run, and a walk with strikeouts in his outing. He threw 45 pitches (28 strikes – 62.2 Strike%) and induced four whiffs.

• Brennan Bernardino secured his 14th hold, giving up a hit during two-thirds scoreless in the sixth.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Josh Winckowski

September 7, 2024

Boston Red Sox – One day removed from being unavailable, Kenley Jansen took the mound with a two-run lead at the top of the ninth. He recorded his 26th save with a clean outing and recorded a strikeout. He threw seven pitches (85.7 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (42.9 SwStr%). This marked his first save of September.

• Justin Slaten secured his 12th hold with a clean eighth and recorded two strikeouts.
• Brennan Bernardino retired both batters faced, one via strikeout, and stranded a runner for his 13th hold in the seventh. 

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Josh Winckowski

September 6, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Taking over with a two-run lead, Josh Winckowski retired the side and recorded his first save of the season. He threw 11 pitches (72.7 Strike%) and induced one whiff. This marks his first save since August 23, 2023.

• Brennan Bernardino tossed a clean eighth and struck out one for his 12th hold.
• Zack Kelly allowed a hit during a scoreless seventh and collected his sixth win courtesy of a two-run rally in the bottom of the inning.
• After the game, it was reported Kenley Jansen (lat) will not pitch until he’s feeling better.

Updated Hierarchy: *Kenley Jansen | *Chris Martin | *Josh Winckowski

August 30, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Despite retiring the side in the bottom of the tenth for his second save, Chris Martin let the “place” runner score after a flyout and a fielder’s choice RBI groundball before a game-ending strikeout. He threw 13 pitches (69.2 Strike%) and induced two whiffs.

• Kenley Jansen suffered his fourth blown save but collected his fourth win, courtesy of a three-run top of the tenth. He gave up Zach McKinstry’s lead-off single, who stole second and scored on Jake Rogers’ game-tying RBI double. This marked Jansen’s first blown save since July 27, and he’s allowed a run in three of his last five outings.
• Justin Slaten retired both batters, once via strikeout for his 11th hold in the eighth. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

August 28, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Taking the baton from Brayan Bello’s eight shutout frames, Kenley Jansen preserved it with a clean ninth while striking out one for his 25th save. He threw six pitches, all strikes, without a whiff against the Blue Jays’ 9-1-2 lineup pocket. He’s converted five saves in August and been scoreless in seven of nine appearances with ten strikeouts against zero walks. 

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

August 21, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Preserving a three-run win, Chris Martin notched his first save with a scoreless ninth in Houston. He allowed a hit and recorded a strikeout, throwing 16 pitches (11 strikes – 68.8 Strike%) with one whiff. He’s been scoreless in seven of eight games since returning from the injured list, with ten strikeouts versus zero walks.

• Luis García fired a clean eighth and struck out two for his 14th hold. Brennan Bernardino stranded the bases loaded with an inning-ending strikeout against Yordan Alvarez and secured his 11th hold.
• Greg Weissert gave up two hits and a walk while striking out one in two-thirds of the seventh.
• Josh Winckowski collected his fourth win, giving up a hit during a scoreless bottom of the sixth.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Lucas Sims

August 20, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Appearing for the fourth time in five days, Kenley Jansen nailed down his 24th save with a clean ninth while preserving a one-run win in Houston. He threw 12 pitches (66.7 Strike%) without a whiff. He’s been scoreless in six of his seven games in August while converting all four save opportunities with nine strikeouts against zero walks.

• Luis García gave up a hit and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless eighth for his 13th hold.
• Zack Kelly collected his fifth win. He retired the side in the seventh, ahead of his team’s go-ahead rally in the top of the eighth.
• Greg Weissert tossed a clean sixth and struck out one.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Lucas Sims

August 19, 2024

Boston Red Sox – After striking out Yordan Alvarez on three pitches, Kenley Jansen suffered his second loss, allowing Yainer Diaz’s walk-off home run. This represents his first loss since May 16 and snapped his modest six-game scoreless streak.

• Lucas Sims struggled with his command, allowing two hits, an earned run, and two walks while striking out one during his fourth blown save in the eighth. The Red Sox have produced 12 blown saves in the second half, most in the majors.
• Chris Martin navigated around two hits and recorded three strikeouts in a scoreless seventh, securing his 12th hold.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Lucas Sims

August 16, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Shutting the door on his 23rd save and the 443rd of his career, Kenley Jansen retired the side and recorded two strikeouts against the Orioles’ 2-3-4 lineup pocket. He threw 12 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (25 SwStr%). He’s not allowed a baserunner through four appearances in August and converted all three saves with seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

• Chris Martin allowed three hits and an earned run during his 11th hold in the eighth.
• Luis García gave up four hits and three earned runs in the seventh.
• Lucas Sims retired all three batters and stranded a runner in the sixth for his 15th hold.
• Bailey Horn stranded two runners in the fifth, issued a walk, and recorded two strikeouts in two-thirds scoreless, securing his third hold.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Lucas Sims

August 14, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Entering in the top of the tenth, Zack Kelly suffered his second loss. He allowed three hits, including Jonah Heim’s go-ahead two-run home run, scoring the “place” runner.

• Josh Winckowski gave up three hits, including Wyatt Langford’s game-tying three-run home run. His defense did him no favors, not turning a potential game-ending double play, resulting in his first blown save.
• Chris Martin stranded two runners while retiring his only batter in the eighth.
• Luis García was tagged with his third blown save, giving up three hits, two runs (one earned), and striking out one in two-thirds of the eighth.
• Brennan Bernadino stranded two runners and retired one batter in the sixth for his ninth hold.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Lucas Sims

August 13, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Summoned with a two-run lead in the top of the eighth, Kenley Jansen stranded a runner and retired all four batters in his outing, once via strikeout, for his 22nd save. He threw 13 pitches (10 strikes – 76.9 Strike%) and induced two whiffs. This marked his fifth appearance requiring four or more outs and his fourth save in them. He’s been scoreless through three games this month and converted both save chances.

• Bailey Horn notched his second hold, allowing a hit and striking out one during a scoreless combined inning.
• Lucas Sims stranded a bases-loaded situation in the sixth, securing his 14th hold while logging 1.1 scoreless innings. He allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Lucas Sims

August 12, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Benefiting from his team’s walk-off rally, Josh Winckowski collected his third win. He allowed the “place” runner to score in the top of the tenth on a fielder’s choice groundout while retiring the side on 11 pitches.

• Kenley Jansen tossed a clean ninth and struck out one. He threw 14 pitches (64.3 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (14.3 SwStr%) in his first outing since August 6.
• Chris Martin allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth.
• Bailey Horn suffered his second blown save, giving up Corey Seager’s game-tying two-run home run in one-third of the seventh.
• Zack Kelly was awarded his eighth hold, issuing a walk, which resulted in an earned run and recording a strikeout in two-thirds of the seventh.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Lucas Sims

August 6, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Making his first appearance since July 31, Kenley Jansen took over in the bottom of the eighth and stranded his only runner while retiring all four batters, three via strikeout, for his 21st save. This marked his third multi-inning save this season and fourth multiple-inning outing. He threw 13 pitches (10 strikes – 76.9 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (23.1 SwStr%).

• Luis García was credited with his 12th hold despite giving up two hits and an earned run in two-thirds of the eighth.
• Cam Booser allowed a hit and an earned run during his sixth hold.
• Zack Kelly retired the side and struck out two in the sixth, securing his seventh hold.
• Brennan Bernardino collected his fourth win, stranding two runners and retiring his only batter in the fifth. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Lucas Sims | Luis García

August 2, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Wrapping up a five-run win, Luis García retired the side in the bottom of the ninth in Texas.

• Lucas Sims recorded his 13th hold, stranding a runner in the seventh and logging 1.1 clean frames while striking out one. He threw 13 pitches (11 strikes – 84.6 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (23.1 SwStr%).
• Cam Booser gave up a hit and struck out one over two-thirds of the seventh.
• Josh Winckowski allowed a hit and an earned run while striking out one through two-thirds innings across the sixth and seventh innings.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Lucas Sims | Luis García

July 31, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Navigating around a wild pitch, Zack Kelly collected his fourth win after stranding the “place” runner in the top of the tenth. He allowed a walk and recorded a strikeout during his scoreless outing before his team’s walk-off rally in the bottom of the frame.

• Kenley Jansen tossed a scoreless ninth, issuing a walk and striking out one. He did “tweak” his back, and he’s considered day-to-day until their next game on Friday.
• Josh Winckowski retired the side in the eighth and recorded a strikeout.
• Lucas Sims stranded two runners despite issuing a walk during two-thirds scoreless in the seventh.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Lucas Sims | Zack Kelly

July 30, 2024 

Boston Red Sox – Acquired Lucas Sims from the Reds for a minor league pitching prospect. He’s been scoreless in nine of ten appearances in July with nine strikeouts against four walks and immediately slots into the team’s hierarchy ravaged by injuries: 

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Lucas Sims | Zack Kelly

July 27, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Entering in the top of the tenth, Chase Anderson suffered his second loss. He allowed two hits, three runs (two earned), and a walk against the Yankees.

• Kenley Jansen was tagged with his third blown save. He gave up a one-out Ben Rice double, induced a groundout, and with two strikes, Trent Grisham produced a game-tying RBI double. Jansen has allowed at least a run in four of his last five while converting two of four save chances.
• Zack Kelly was awarded his sixth hold despite letting one of two inherited runners score, yielding a hit during his two-thirds of the eighth.
• Bailey Horn was credited with his first hold, giving up a hit, an earned run, and a walk while striking out one in one-third of the eighth.
• Cam Booser incurred his first blown save, permitting one of two inherited runners to score during his two-thirds of the seventh.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Zack Kelly | Greg Weissert

July 26, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Capping his team’s rally, Kenley Jansen recorded his 20th save, navigating around consecutive one-out singles with a strikeout and a game-ending groundout. He threw 18 pitches (77.8 Strike%) and induced two whiffs. This snapped a streak of allowing a run in three games, and he converted four of five save chances in July.

• Bailey Horn collected his first win, yielding a hit during a scoreless eighth ahead of his team, scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame.
• Zack Kelly suffered his first blown save, allowing three hits and letting both inherited runners score, along with two earned on his ledger during two-thirds of the seventh.
• Brennan Bernardino gave up a hit, two earned runs, and a walk while recording one out in the seventh for his eighth hold.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Zack Kelly | Brennan Bernardino

July 22, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Tasked with a bases-loaded situation and two outs in the bottom of the 12th, Chase Anderson allowed a walk-off RBI single by Ezequiel Tovar. Bailey Horn suffered his first loss and a blown save. He gave up a hit, two runs (one earned), and two walks (both intentional) while striking out one in two-thirds of the 12th.

• Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless 11th, intentionally walking Michael Toglia and striking out one.
• Zack Kelly logged two innings, which included a scoreless ninth. However, in the tenth, he could not preserve a two-run lead, giving up a game-tying two-run home run by Sam Hilliard. Kelly recorded three strikeouts in his outing on 26 pitches (20 strikes – 76.9 Strike%) and generated eight whiffs (30.8 SwStr%).

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Zack Kelly | Brennan Bernardino

July 20, 2024

Boston Red Sox – After blowing his fourth save chance in the bottom of the tenth, Greg Weissert suffered his second loss, allowing a walk-off RBI single by Will Smith. He logged 1.1 innings, giving up three hits, three runs (one earned), and two walks (one intentional) while striking out two.

• Kenley Jansen allowed a game-tying Kiké Hernández solo home run in the ninth, resulting in his second blown save, the first since April 16. He finished with two hits allowed, an earned run, and a walk (intentional) while striking out one.
• Josh Winckowski notched his first hold, navigating around two hits and a walk in a scoreless eighth.
• Cam Booser secured his fourth hold, working a scoreless seventh. He issued a walk and recorded two strikeouts.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Zack Kelly | Brennan Bernardino

July 19, 2024

Boston Red Sox – In ascending order of appearance, Zack Kelly took over with a 1-0 lead and worked a scoreless seventh. Returning for the eighth, he issued Miguel Vargas a lead-off walk and struck out Chris Taylor. Kelly finished 1.1 innings with an earned run, two walks, and two strikeouts while securing his fifth hold.

• Brennan Bernandino took over with a runner on, then allowed Shohei Ohtani’s ground-rule double, issued an intentional walk, and gave up a go-ahead Freddie Freeman grand slam. This put two hits, three earned runs, and a walk on Bernardino’s ledger without recording an out during his third loss and second blown save.
• Greg Weissert retired two batters, finishing the bottom of the eighth.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Zack Kelly | Brennan Bernardino

July 17, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Entering the second half with a two-game lead for the last Wild Card spot places general manager Craig Breslow into a tough position. He planned on trading closer Kenley Jansen per reports early in the season, but the team’s current play suggests he should be adding, not selling ahead of the deadline. This weekend and next week may play a pivotal part in how he threads the needle in handling he roster for the rest of the season. Liam Hendriks may be available as soon as August, which could bolster the leverage ladder if the team keeps Jansen. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Zack Kelly | Brennan Bernardino

July 14, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Hanging on for his 19th save, Kenley Jansen logged two innings, allowing two hits, an earned run, and a walk while striking out three in a one-run win over the Royals. After tossing a clean eighth, he gave up a one-out Hunter Renfroe single in the ninth, followed by a walk and Freddy Fermin’s RBI single with a runner thrown out at third, then induced a game-ending groundout. Jansen threw 27 pitches (22 strikes – 81.5 Strike%) and induced two whiffs during his second two-inning save this season.

• Brennan Bernardino stranded a runner and recorded two outs in the eighth, one via strikeout for his seventh hold.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Zack Kelly | Brennan Bernardino

July 11, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Logging his third multi-inning save of the season, Chase Anderson tossed three scoreless frames and preserved a combined shutout with Tanner Houck. Anderson gave up two hits and recorded five strikeouts against the A’s. He threw 39 pitches (28 strikes – 71.8 Strike%) and produced six whiffs (15.4 SwStr%).

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Zack Kelly

July 7, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Preserving a combined shutout and taking over fifth place all-time in career saves (438), Kenley Jansen fired a clean ninth while striking out one against the Yankees. He’s converted 18 of 19 save chances this year and has been scoreless over his last 10 appearances with a 0.93 WHIP over 9.2 innings. He threw 13 pitches (9 strikes – 69.2 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (23.1 SwStr%).

• Justin Slaten notched his tenth hold, tossing a scoreless eighth, issuing a walk, and striking out one.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Greg Weissert

July 6, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Forced into action in the bottom of the fourth, Brennan Bernardino stranded a runner on a lineout. Things did not go as smoothly in the fifth, putting a second loss on his ledger. He allowed consecutive one-out singles and was replaced by Greg Weissert.

• Weissert let both inherited runners score, giving up two hits, four earned runs, and two walks over one-third of the fifth, resulting in his third blown save.
• Chase Anderson also allowed two inherited runners to score. He logged 3.1 innings, giving up five hits and five earned runs while striking out three.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Greg Weissert

July 5, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Capping a comeback, Kenley Jansen recorded his 17th save and 437th of his career, moving into a tie for fifth all-time with Francisco Rodriguez. He preserved a two-run win with a scoreless bottom of the tenth, allowing a Juan Soto single and then retiring the next three Yankees in order. He threw nine pitches (77.8 Strike%) without a whiff and has converted eight saves in his last ten appearances.

• Justin Slaten collected his fifth win, firing a clean bottom of the ninth and striking out one.
• Cam Booser logged two scoreless frames, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out one.
• Sam Horn worked 2.2 scoreless, though he let one of three inherited runners score in the fourth, scattering two hits and striking out three.
• Before tonight’s game, Chris Martin was placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Greg Weissert

July 4, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Provided a two-run lead in the bottom of the 12th, Greg Weissert held on for his first save, allowing two hits and letting the “place” runner score.

• Zack Kelly collected his third win despite giving up Jesús Sánchez’s game-tying two-run home run in the 11th. His two innings featured a hit allowed, two runs (one earned), and a walk with three strikeouts.
• Kenley Jansen navigated around two hits and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless ninth.
• Brennan Bernardino suffered his first blown save, letting both inherited runners score on consecutive singles in the bottom of the eighth before retiring Josh Bell.
• Justin Slaten gets credit for his ninth hold but gave up two earned runs on two walks and recorded a strikeout in two-thirds of the eighth. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

June 30, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Moving back into a tie for fifth all-time in saves (436), Kenley Jansen fired a clean ninth and recorded a strikeout while preserving a three-run win over the Padres. He threw 10 pitches (80 Strike%) and generated three whiffs (30 SwStr%). He finished June with nine scoreless outings across 10 games, converting all seven save chances and collecting two wins with 10 strikeouts versus one walk.

• Chris Martin notched his ninth hold, tossing a scoreless eighth, giving up a hit, and striking out one.
• Justin Slaten gave up two hits and an earned run while striking out one over his 1.1 innings.
• Brennan Bernadino retired two batters and allowed a hit in the sixth. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

June 24, 2024

(RP | BOS): Appearing for a third straight day, Kenley Jansen tossed a scoreless top of the ninth, navigating around a lead-off single. He collected his third win courtesy of a walk-off rally in the bottom of the inning. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Benefiting from a walk-off rally, Kenley Jansen collected his third win. He tossed a scoreless top of the ninth, allowing a lead-off single and recording a strikeout. Appearing for a third straight game, he threw 10 pitches (70 Strike%) and induced one whiff. He’s been scoreless in his last six outings, converting all five save chances and this win. Chase Anderson retired the side in the eighth and struck out one. Isaiah Campbell let his only inherited runner score, giving up three hits and three earned runs while striking out one in one-third of the seventh.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

June 23, 2024

(RP | BOS): Finishing a two-run win over the Reds, Kenley Jansen allowed a hit during a scoreless ninth for his 15th save. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – With a three-run lead facing the Reds’ 9-1-2 lineup pocket, Kenley Jansen secured his 15th save, working around a two-out single by Elly De La Cruz with a game-ending flyout by Jeimer Candelario. Jansen threw 12 pitches (91.7 Strike%) and did not induce a whiff. He’s converted a save in his last six appearances and been scoreless in five. Justin Slaten worked a scoreless eighth, hitting a batter and recording a strikeout for his eighth hold. Chris Martin notched his eighth hold, retiring the side in the seventh. Greg Weissert was awarded his third win, tossing a scoreless fourth, giving up a hit, and striking out one.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

June 22, 2024

(RP | BOS): Not only did Kenley Jansen secure his 14th save, he retook sole possession of fifth all-time in saves (434). He worked a scoreless bottom of the ninth, allowing a hit during a win over the Reds. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Securing his 14th save and back into fifth place all-time (434 saves), Kenley Jansen closed out a one-run win in Cincinnati. He allowed a two-out single by TJ Friedl but induced a game-ending flyout by Elly De La Cruz. Jansen threw 15 pitches (60 Strike%) and did not produce a whiff. He’s been scoreless in six with eight strikeouts against one walk through seven outings in June while converting all five save chances. Chris Martin tossed a scoreless eighth, yielding a hit and striking out two for his seventh hold. Zack Kelly stranded a runner and retired his only batter, collecting his second win. He’s not allowed a hit against all 30 batters faced in June.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

June 18, 2024

(RP | BOS): Preserving a one-run win in Toronto, Kenley Jansen fired a clean bottom of the ninth and recorded one strikeout for his 13th save. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Capping a comeback win, Kenley Jansen retired the side in the bottom of the ninth while recording one strikeout during his 13th save. He threw 11 pitches (72.7 Strike%) and induced one whiff facing the Blue Jays’ 8-9-1 hitters. He’s been scoreless in seven of his last eight games, converting all six save opportunities while producing 10 strikeouts against one walk across 8.2 innings. Justin Slaten retired his only batter in the eighth, securing his sixth hold and stranding a runner. Brennan Bernardino allowed a hit during his two-thirds scoreless in the eighth. Zack Kelly collected his first win, firing 1.1 clean frames while striking out one.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

June 17, 2024

(RP | BOS): A fantasy favorite one-out save for Kenley Jansen. He recorded his 12th save of the season by stranding two runners with a game-ending pop-out, securing a four-run win over the Blue Jays. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Summoned in the bottom of the ninth with two runners on and two outs, Kenley Jansen recorded his 12th save, inducing a game-ending pop-out by Davis Schneider. He threw six pitches and did not produce a whiff, but fantasy managers will happily take the one-out save. He’s converted a save in his last three appearances and been scoreless in six of his last seven while converting five saves. Brad Keller logged 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

June 15, 2024

(RP | BOS): Taking over in the top of the eighth with two runners on and two outs, Kenley Jansen retired all four batters faced and closed out a win over the Yankees while recording his 11th save. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Between 2023 and 2024, Kenley Jansen recorded a multi-inning save two times, once each season. Jansen has recorded at least four outs for the second time in his last three appearances. Securing his 11th save, he stranded two runners in the eighth and retired all four batters faced. He threw 12 pitches (83.3 Strike%) and produced one whiff. Greg Weissert was credited with his third hold, giving up a hit, an earned run, and two walks while striking out one in two-thirds of the eighth. Brennan Bernardino stranded a runner and retired his only batter for his fourth hold in the seventh. Justin Slaten collected his fourth win, logging 2.2 innings. He gave up two hits, including a solo home run by Juan Soto, and two walks while striking out three.

Chris Martin will make a rehab outing on Sunday and could be activated for next scoring period. For now: 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Greg Weissert

June 13, 2024

(RP | BOS): Becoming the fifth Red Sox reliever with a save, Brad Keller logged three scoreless frames, scattering two hits and issuing a walk while striking out three. He threw 46 pitches (29 strikes – 63 Strike%) and induced four whiffs. He’s been scoreless in three of his last four. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Greg Weissert

June 12, 2024

(RP | BOS): Although he allowed an earned run, Kenley Jansen recorded his tenth save, finishing a two-run win over the Phillies. He allowed a hit, an earned run, and a walk while striking out one. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Making his first appearance not on a Sunday since May 21, Kenley Jansen held on for his tenth save. He allowed a lead-off double by Bryce Harper, balked him to third, and a sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to two. Jansen recovered with a strikeout, a walk, and a game-ending flyout by David Dahl. His final line was a hit against, one earned run, and a walk while striking out one. He threw 14 pitches (9 strikes – 64.3 Strike%) and induced one whiff. This snapped a four-game scoreless streak for the veteran closer. Justin Slaten secured his fifth hold, giving up a hit during a scoreless eighth. Brennan Bernandino navigated around a hit and a walk for a scoreless seventh. Zack Kelly was credited with his third hold, allowing an earned run on a walk and striking out two. Cam Booser collected his first win, firing a clean fifth and striking out one.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Greg Weissert

June 9, 2024

(RP | BOS): Logging two innings for the first time since 2021, Kenley Jansen earned his second win. He allowed a hit and recorded five strikeouts over two scoreless frames. After this outing, he also made history, reaching sixth place all-time in strikeouts among relievers with 1,186, passing Rollie Fingers.  

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Culminating a bullpen game, Cam Booser recorded his first career save, working a clean bottom of the tenth and striking out two. Kenley Jansen collected his second win, tossing two scoreless frames. He allowed a hit and recorded five strikeouts on 34 pitches (24 strikes – 70.6 Strike%) with seven whiffs (20.6 SwStr%). This marks his first two-inning outing since August 13, 2021. Brad Keller stranded two runners and retired both batters in the seventh, one via strikeout. Brennan Bernardino gave up four hits, an earned run, and two walks while striking out two over 1.1 innings. Justin Slaten suffered his third blown save, allowing three runs (one earned) on a home run (Paul DeJong) and recorded three strikeouts over his two innings.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Greg Weissert

June 5, 2024

(RP | BOS): Per the team’s account on “X,” Boston placed Chris Martin on the 15-day injured list because of anxiety issues. First and foremost, we hope he finds peace and progress. As a result of this move, the hierarchy has been adjusted: 

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Justin Slaten | Greg Weissert

June 2, 2024

(RP | BOS): In the top of the tenth, Cam Booser suffered his second loss, allowing four hits and four runs (three earned) against the Tigers. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Things turned in the top of the tenth for the Red Sox, resulting in a rough outing for Cam Booser. He was tagged with his second loss, allowing four hits and four runs (three earned). Kenley Jansen tossed a scoreless top of the ninth, giving up a hit and striking out one on 17 pitches (12 strikes – 70.6 Strike%) with one whiff. Greg Weissert turned in a clean eighth, striking out one. Justin Slaten suffered his second blown save, letting both inherited runners score on a Wenceel Pérez double and a fielder’s choice ground out during his two-thirds of the seventh.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 26, 2024

(RP | BOS): Save number nine for Kenley Jansen. He retired the side and recorded two strikeouts while preserving a one-run win over Milwaukee.

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Making his first appearance in four days, Kenley Jansen secured his ninth save, firing a clean top of the ninth and striking out two. He threw 10 pitches (80 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (20 SwStr%). He’s been scoreless in five of his last six games, converting four saves and recording a 6:1 K:BB over six innings. Justin Slaten earned his third win, striking out the side in the eighth ahead of his team’s rally in the bottom of the inning. Chris Martin turned in a scoreless seventh, yielding a hit.

Hierarchy remains (mostly linear): Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 21, 2024

(RP | BOS): Recording his eighth save, Kenley Jansen navigated around a hit for a scoreless ninth, preserving a three-run win in Tampa Bay. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Although he allowed a lead-off double, Kenley Jansen bore down, retiring the next three batters and recording his eighth save, preserving a three-run win in Tampa Bay. He threw 11 pitches (63.6 Strike%) without recording a whiff. This marked his seventh outing this month, and he’s converted three save chances with a 7:2 K:BB and 1.43 WHIP over seven innings. Chris Martin fired a clean eighth, striking out two for his sixth hold. Greg Weissert collected his second win, retiring the side in the seventh and striking out two ahead of his team’s two-run rally in the top of the eighth. Cam Booser recorded two hits and stranded a runner in the sixth. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 20, 2024

(RP | BOS): Bouncing back from a rough outing on Saturday, Justin Slaten tossed two scoreless frames, giving up a hit and striking out two, preserving a combined shutout. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 19, 2024

(RP | BOS): During a non-save outing, Chris Martin finished an eight-run win in St. Louis by striking out the side. He threw 14 pitches (71.4 Strike%) and produced four whiffs (28.6 SwStr%). 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 18, 2024

(RP | BOS): Taking over a tied game in the bottom of the seventh, Justin Slaten stranded two runners while retiring Paul Goldschmidt on an inning-ending groundout. However, when he returned for the eighth, things went awry. He allowed five hits, and five runs (four earned) while recording one strikeout during his combined inning of relief, resulting in his second loss.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 16, 2024

(RP | BOS): Suffering his first loss, Kenley Jansen allowed two hits, two earned runs, and a walk while striking out two against the Rays. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Veteran closer Kenley Jansen took over a tied game in the top of the ninth and suffered his first loss of the season. He issued a one-out walk and allowed consecutive singles, scoring the go-ahead run, then a sacrifice fly, resulting in a two-run deficit. Jansen did record two strikeouts, throwing 18 pitches (13 strikes – 72.2 Strike%) and inducing three whiffs (16.7 SwStr%). He’s allowed multiple runs in two of his last five contests. Chris Martin worked a scoreless eighth, yielding a hit. Justin Slaten fired a clean seventh, striking out the side on 16 pitches (13 strikes – 81.3 Strike%) while generating six whiffs (37.5 SwStr%).

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 14, 2024

(RP | BOS): Courtesy of a walk-off rally, Brennan Bernardino collected his second win after tossing a scoreless top of the 12th, issuing a walk and striking out one. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Benefiting from a walk-off, Brennan Bernardino earned his second win. He worked a scoreless top of the 12th while walking one and striking out one. Zack Kelly tossed two innings, letting one of two “place” runners score, giving up a walk and striking out two. Kenley Jansen navigated around a one-out single for a scoreless ninth, inducing a flyout and getting an inning-ending caught stealing. He threw 12 pitches (7 strikes – 58.3 Strike%) without a whiff. Chris Martin fired a clean eighth, striking out two. Justin Slaten suffered his first blown save, allowing three hits and an earned run while striking out two.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 12, 2024

(RP | BOS): Logging a third straight appearance, Kenley Jansen recorded his seventh save, navigating around a one-out hit for a scoreless ninth, preserving a one-run over the Nationals. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Workload management be damned, Kenley Jansen secured his seventh save, tossing a scoreless ninth, working around a one-out single by Nick Senzel with a flyout and a game-ending caught stealing. This marked his third straight appearance. He threw 14 pitches (8 strikes – 57.1 Strike%) without a whiff. He’s been scoreless in six of his last seven, converting all three save chances with 10 strikeouts versus one walk over seven innings. Chris Martin fired a clean eighth, striking out one for his fifth hold. Zack Kelly notched his second hold despite issuing two walks during a scoreless seventh. Cam Booser recorded his second hold, retiring the side in the sixth and striking out one. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 11, 2024

(RP | BOS): Securing his sixth save, Kenley Jansen fired a clean top of the ninth, striking out two while preserving a two-run win over Washington. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Shutting the door on his sixth save, and first since April 20, Kenley Jansen fired a clean ninth and recorded two strikeouts versus the Nationals. He threw 16 pitches (75 Strike%) and produced one whiff. He’s been scoreless in five of six outings with a 0.67 WHIP and 10 strikeouts versus one walk through six innings. Chris Martin collected his second win, retiring the side in the eighth ahead of his team’s rally in the bottom of the frame. Justin Slaten issued a walk and recorded two outs in the seventh. Brennan Bernardino allowed a hit and struck out one over 1.1 scoreless innings.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 10, 2024

(RP | BOS): Making his first appearance since May 5, Kenley Jansen recorded two quick outs via strikeout, then gave up a single by Eddie Rosario, walked Trey Lipscomb, uncorked a wild pitch which scored a run, and allowed an RBI single by Victor Robles before an inning-ending strikeout. He threw 22 pitches (63.6 Strike%) and generated six whiffs (27.3 SwStr%) while giving up two hits, two earned runs, and a walk.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 7, 2024

(RP | BOS): There will be bumps during a rookie season, and Justin Slaten suffered his first loss during the bottom of the eighth in Atlanta, allowing two hits, two earned runs, and a walk while striking out one. 

Hierarchy remains (for now): Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Entering a tied game in Atlanta during the bottom of the eighth, Justin Slaten suffered his first loss, allowing two hits, including a go-ahead RBI single by Marcell Ozuna, two earned runs, and a walk while striking out one. Greg Weissert retired his only batter in the seventh, stranding a runner. Brennan Bernardino recorded two outs in the seventh and issued a walk.

May 5, 2024

(RP | BOS): Making his first appearance since April 28, Kenley Jansen faced the Twins’ 8-9-1 hitters with a seven-run lead. He worked a scoreless ninth, navigating around an error and a two-out single with a game-ending pop-out by Ryan Jeffers. 

Hierarchy remains (for now): Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

*It’s possible Chris Martin lands on the injured list, but will not be reflected until an official announcement. 

May 4, 2024

(RP | BOS): During a bullpen contest, Cam Booser suffered his first loss, allowing two hits, including a go-ahead solo home run by Max Kepler, and recorded two strikeouts over 1.1 innings. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

May 2, 2024

(RP | BOS): During the top of the sixth, Zack Kelly allowed four hits and two earned run, resulting in his first loss of the season. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Taking over in the fifth, Brennan Bernardino retired all three batters faced during his outing. Zack Kelly was tagged with his first loss, allowing four hits and two earned runs over his two-thirds of an inning. Cam Booser let one of two inherited runners score, but worked a clean inning while striking out one. Naoyuki Uwasawa tossed two clean frames, recording a strikeout in his team debut.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 28, 2024

(RP | BOS): After firing a clean top of the ninth and striking out one, Kenley Jansen collected his first win of the season courtesy of a walk-off in the bottom of the inning. 

Analysis

Boston Red Sox – Benefiting from a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth, Kenley Jansen collected his first win, firing a clean top of the inning, and striking out one. He threw 10 pitches (70 Strike%) without recording a whiff. It’s been a frustrating stretch for the closer, he’s only made two appearances since his last save (April 20). Chris Martin suffered his third blown save, giving up three hits, including a three-run home run (Mike Tauchman), and striking out two during the top of the eighth. His final line over 1.1 innings, was three hits allowed, three earned runs, and two strikeouts.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 27, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Courtesy of the scorer’s decision, Justin Slaten collected his second win, firing two clean frames and striking out two across the fifth and sixth innings. He threw 25 pitches (64 Strike%) and generated four whiffs (16 SwStr%). He owns a 0.49 WHIP with 13 strikeouts against two walks through his first 16.1 innings. Cam Booser fired two clean innings, striking out three during the combined shutout, finished by infielder, Pablo Reyes. 

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 25, 2024

Boston Red Sox – As promised, Kenley Jansen made his first appearance since April 20, tossing a clean bottom of the eighth and striking out one during an eventual loss. He threw eight pitches (87.5 Strike%) and produced one whiff facing the Guardians 6-7-8 batters. Chris Martin allowed two hits, an unearned run, and a walk in the seventh. Greg Weissert turned in a scoreless sixth, giving up a hit. Cam Booser logged two scoreless frames, working around a hit and a walk while striking out one. Brennan Bernardino gave up a hit and a walk over 1.1 scoreless frames.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 21, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Logging two clean frames, Chase Anderson capped a five-run victory in Pittsburgh. Justin Slaten collected his first win, tossing two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two. He threw 34 pitches (19 strikes – 55.9 Strike%) and induced two whiffs. Greg Weissert recorded his second old, striking out one over two-thirds scoreless. Cam Booser worked a scoreless combined innings, giving up two hits and striking out one.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 20, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Nailing down his fifth save, Kenley Jansen fired a clean ninth, striking out the side during a two-run win in Pittsburgh. He threw 14 pitches (9 strikes – 64.3 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (13.3 SwStr%). He owns a 1.57 WHIP with 12 strikeouts versus eight walks through 7.2 innings. This save also moved him into fifth place all-time, marking his 425th of his career. Greg Weissert retired his only batter for his first hold in the eighth. Joely Rodríguez received credit for his fourth hold despite giving up a solo home run over his two-thirds of the eighth. Chris Martin turned in a scoreless seventh, yielding a hit while posting his fourth hold.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 18, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Pitching during an eventual loss, Chris Martin tossed a scoreless top of the ninth, giving up a hit and striking out one. Justin Slaten turned in two scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out one. He’s posted a 0.41 WHIP with nine strikeouts over his first 12.1 innings. Joe Jacques logged 1.2 innings, giving up three hits and an earned run while striking out two. Cooper Criswell suffered his first loss as the “bulk follower”, allowing three hits, four runs (one earned), and a walk over 2.1 innings.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 16, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Running on fumes, Josh Winckowski suffered his first loss, allowing two hits, three runs (two earned), and two walks while striking out one in the top of the 11th. Greg Weissert gave up two hits, an unearned run, and a walk in the tenth. Kenley Jansen was tagged with his first blown save, giving up three hits, including a game-tying RBI single by Andrés Giménez, resulting in an earned run. He threw 14 pitches (11 strikes – 78.6 Strike%) without a whiff. Chris Martin notched his third hold, retiring all three batters faced in the eighth. Brennan Bernardino navigated around two walks and struck out two in a scoreless seventh for his first hold.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 14, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Moving into a tie for fifth all-time in history, Kenley Jansen survived a traffic-infused ninth, recording his fourth save of the season, and 424th of his career. His outing began with a hit-by-pitch (Logan O’Hoppe), a single, and a walk, loading the bases. Following a sacrifice fly, he recorded consecutive strikeouts of Luis Rengifo and Mike Trout, preserving the one-run win. He threw 25 pitches (56 Strike%) and produced four whiffs (16 SwStr%). He owns a 1.59 WHIP with nine strikeouts versus eight walks over his first 5.2 innings. Justin Slaten notched his third hold, stranding two runners in the sixth, and logging 2.2 innings, giving up two hits and an earned run while striking out one.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 11, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Another rough outing for Isaiah Campbell, suffering his first loss, giving up four hits, including two home runs, six runs (five earned), and a walk, while striking out one in the top of the tenth. Kenley Jansen issued two walks and recorded a strikeout during his two-thirds of the ninth. He threw 19 pitches (7 strikes – 36.8 Strike%) and induced one whiff. He’s been hitless and scoreless through his first five outings but has a 7:7 K:BB over 4.2 innings. Greg Weissert was tagged with his first blown save, allowing an inherited runner to score while serving up a go-ahead home run by Anthony Santander. Joely Rodríguez gave up an unearned run and struck out one over two-thirds of the eighth for his third hold. Justin Slaten worked two scoreless frames, walking one and striking out one. He’s retired 23 of his last 24 batters faced.

Updated hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten

April 10, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Taking over a shutout in the sixth, Isaiah Campbell turned in a sideways outing, giving up four hits and three earned runs. Chris Martin suffered his first loss and second blown save, giving up two hits, four runs (three earned), and a walk while striking out two. He threw 27 pitches (15 strikes – 55.6 Strike%) and produced five whiffs (18.5 SwStr%). Brennan Bernardino logged two scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out three.

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Isaiah Campbell

April 7, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Recording his second three-inning save, Chase Anderson gave up four hits, two earned runs, and a walk while striking out one, closing out a 12-1 win over the Angels on getaway day. He also provided his teammates in the bullpen with a much-needed day off ahead of a flight home, throwing 68 pitches (43 strikes – 63.2 Strike%) while getting seven whiffs (10.3 SwStr%).

Hierarchy remains: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Isaiah Campbell

April 5, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Facing the 3-4-5 lineup pocket, Kenley Jansen converted his third save of the year, and 423rd of his career, putting him into sixth place all-time. He fired a clean ninth and recorded one strikeout on 18 pitches (13 strikes – 72.2 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (11.1 SwStr%). He’s been scoreless over four outings with six strikeouts versus five walks. Isaiah Campbell notched his second hold, retiring the side in order in the eighth. Chris Martin suffered his first blown save and collected his first win, giving up two hits and an earned run while striking out two. This snapped his 24-game scoreless streak, but he’s only allowed two earned runs over his last 38.2 innings. Josh Winckowski also was tagged with a blown save, yielding two hits and four unearned runs in the sixth.

Updated Hierarchy: Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Isaiah Campbell

April 3, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Another white-knuckle ride in high-leverage with Kenley Jansen, but he preserved a shutout win in Oakland, navigating around two walks with a game-ending strikeout for his second save of the season. This also marked the 422nd save of his career, moving him into a tie for sixth all-time with Billy Wagner. He threw 21 pitches (10 strikes – 47.6 Strike%) and induced two whiffs. Through three appearances, he owns a 1.67 WHIP with five strikeouts versus five walks over three innings. Chris Martin notched his second hold, giving up two hits and striking out one. Justin Slaten retired all four batters faced for his first hold. Joely Rodríguez secured his second hold, yielding a hit over two-thirds scoreless in the sixth.

April 2, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Working two scoreless innings, and benefiting from his team’s run in the top of the 11th, Josh Winckowski collected his first win, issuing an intentional walk and striking out two in Oakland. He threw 15 pitches, all strikes, and induced four whiffs (26.7 SwStr%). Kenley Jansen made his first appearance in four days, navigating around two walks and striking out two in a scoreless bottom of the ninth, throwing 26 pitches (14 strikes – 53.8 Strike%) and producing five whiffs (19.2 SwStr%). Chris Martin fired a clean eighth, striking out one on an efficient nine pitches (77.8 Strike%) with two whiffs (22.2 SwStr%). Isaiah Campbell tossed a scoreless seventh, yielding a hit and striking out one. Greg Weissert turned in a scoreless sixth, allowing a hit and striking out one.

April 1, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Taking the baton from Tanner Houck, newly acquired reliever Chase Anderson recorded a three-inning save, allowing a hit and striking out three in a scoreless appearance, preserving a combined shutout in Oakland. He threw 40 pitches (75 Strike%) and induced five whiffs (12.5 SwStr%). Before the game, manager Alex Cora indicated Kenley Jansen was available if needed per Christopher Smith of MassLive on “X”. 

March 31, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Not only did Justin Slaten strand two inherited runners in the seventh, but he logged 2.1 clean frames for his first career save. He threw 15 pitches (80 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (13.3 SwStr%). Joely Rodríguez allowed a hit during two-thirds scoreless in the seventh. Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless sixth, giving up a hit and striking out one. As for the daily Kenley Jansen update, Ian Browne provided this tweet before today’s game in Seattle, but it was cryptic, and the closer was needed for a save. Consider him day-to-day moving forward, unless a clearer update surfaces. 

March 30, 2024

Boston Red Sox – It’s a tough spot making an MLB debut in the bottom of the 10th, with a runner in scoring position, and Justin Slaten gave up a walk-off RBI-single by Julio Rodríguez. This handed Joely Rodríguez his first loss and blown save after giving up two hits and three runs (two earned) in one-third of the 10th. Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless ninth, walking one and striking out two, keeping the game tied. Chris Martin worked a scoreless eighth, walking one and striking out one. Isaiah Campbell fired a clean seventh, striking out two. The biggest question remains, where was Kenley Jansen who last pitched on Thursday? In this post-game interview, Alex Cora commented his closer had a tight back and was unavailable. This type of injury can linger, which puts Martin on the radar for a vulture save or as a back-up for them moving forward. 

March 28, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Career save number 421 for Kenley Jansen, and his first of the season. He worked around a lead-off walk by retiring the next three batters, two via strikeout. He threw 15 pitches (60 Strike%) and produced four whiffs (26.7 SwStr%). Chris Martin secured his first hold, allowing a hit and striking out two in a scoreless eighth. Joely Rodríguez got credit for his first hold, letting an inherited runner score on a home run and striking out two in the seventh. Isaiah Campbell recorded his first hold, giving up a hit and an earned run while striking out one in a combined inning of relief.

March 26, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Assuaging the fears of his manager, Kenley Jansen fired a clean seventh, striking out one. He threw 11 pitches (63.6 Strike%) and generated three whiffs (27.3 SwStr%) against three substitutes. After four spring outings, he owned a 0.82 WHIP with five strikeouts and now walks over 3.2 innings. Chris Martin retired the side in order in the eighth, recording a strikeout. With its two veterans atop the leverage ladder, things calm down for the Red Sox in high-leverage events, for now.

March 24, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Encouraging outings by the high-leverage Red Sox relievers on Sunday featured Kenley Jansen firing a clean seventh, striking out one, throwing eight pitches (87.5 Strike%). Reports suggested his cutter sat at 93 m.p.h. and he had good shape with pitches. Chris Martin retired the side in order in the eighth, recording a strikeout. Both will face Texas in an exhibition game before Opening Day, with no setbacks, each will be ready for the season.

March 21, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Making his second appearance this spring, Kenley Jansen fired a clean fifth, striking out two. By my count, he threw 13 pitches (9 Strikes – 69.2 Strike%) with three whiffs (23.1 SwStr%). On the broadcast, he was between 93-to-95 m.p.h. with his cutter. Things did not go as smoothly for Chris Martin. He allowed two hits and an unearned run over one-third of the sixth, throwing 20 pitches before being removed. The good news, he hit 95 m.p.h. on the radar.

March 19, 2024

Boston Red Sox – I’m starting to feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog’s Day with the Kenley Jansen daily updates. Once again, he was scheduled for an appearance but will be scratched with back tightness per Alex Speier, of the Boston Globe, on “X”. Time will be tight for readiness on Opening Day. Chris Martin remains on track for an appearance in a minor league game today, for now, reported by Ian Browne of MLB.com on “X”. If these two veterans are not ready for Opening Day, this leverage ladder becomes very inexperienced with Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock on track for spots in the rotation. This may result in high-leverage events for Josh Winckowski, Greg Weissert, and Isaiah Campbell, with Justin Slaten in the multi-inning role. 

During his outing on Tuesday, Martin hit 96-to-97 m.p.h., shared in this tweet by Speier. As for Jansen, Christopher Smith of MassLive noted a “tight back” kept him from his appearance and the team hopes he can pitch in a minor league game on Wednesday. If he does, they will reset his scheduled outings in preparations for Opening Day. 

March 18, 2024

Boston Red Sox – In the never-ending saga of Kenley Jansen injury updates, he did not pitch on Monday with back discomfort. His window for Opening Day gets tighter as a result of this, and per Alex Speier on “X”, Alex Cora admits “we’re running out of time“. Jansen’s slated to pitch on Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, and one more time in Texas. Stay tuned. If he opens the year on the injured list, the first save chance may be a dart throw. 

March 17, 2024

Boston Red Sox – With the team narrowing down its pitchers vying for the rotation, Josh Winckowski will re-join the bullpen per Sean McAdam of MassLive. Last year, he went 4-4 as a reliever with three saves, 18 holds, a 13.9 K-BB percentage through 59 relief appearances. In a separate note, Kenley Jansen threw a light bullpen and will log his second spring outing on Monday (March 18) against the Twins, courtesy of Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. 

March 17, 2024

Boston Red Sox –  Veteran reliever Chris Martin successfully completed his live batting practice throwing session and will move forward in his preparations for the season. His next step will be another live batting practice or his Grapefruit League debut per the injuries and roster moves page on MLB.com. He’s a key component in the leverage ladder recording four wins, three saves, and 23 holds last year with a 1.03 WHIP and 19.1 K-BB percentage. 

March 15, 2024

Boston Red Sox – One cannot overreact to a veteran reliever’s spring debut. Kenley Jansen recorded two outs, served up two solo home runs, and sat between 91-to-94 per the game recap by Sean McAdam for MassLive. Jansen noted his feel for the “cutter” will arrive before Opening Day and was encouraged by his velocity during his first appearance this spring in this tweet by Ian Browne of MLB.com. 

March 11, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Two separate updates about leverage relievers for the Red Sox. First, Pete Abraham reported on “X” that Kenley Jansen will throw live batting practice on Tuesday (March 12). It was reported he threw 20 pitches and will continue getting ready for his debut on Friday, but he felt much better in this session. 

From the injuries and roster moves page at MLB.com, Chris Martin “could” be ready for Opening Day according to his manager, Alex Cora. 

March 9, 2024

Boston Red Sox – After not traveling with the team to the Dominican Republic, Chris Martin stayed behind but was shut down during a bullpen session two pitches in with a groin issue per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. This puts his status for Opening Day in question with less than three weeks of preparations left. Monitor his timeline closely. His manager Alex Cora suggested his session was shortened as a “precautionary move“, reported on “X” by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. 

March 7, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Citing MLB.com’s injuries and roster moves page, Kenley Jansen had a pain free live batting practice session and is targeting March 15 as his spring debut so he’s ready for Opening Day. 

March 6, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Kenley Jansen will throw his first live batting practice on Wednesday per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic on “X”. 

March 1, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Providing a different view on how the bullpen will be populated, Ian Browne revealed his first roster projection for the Red Sox on MLB.com. His Opening Day roster placed Garrett Whitlock in the rotation with Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski in the bullpen. He also intimated Justin Slaten could emerge in the role filled by Whitlock during his rookie season, also a former Rule 5 selection. 

February 29, 2024

Boston Red Sox – In his latest roster projection for MassLive, Chris Cotillo foresees Garrett Whitlock and Josh Winckowski in the bullpen on Opening Day. Unless there’s a trade, Kenley Jansen remains atop the hierarchy, but this could change on a dime. 

February 23, 2024

Boston Red Sox – Newly signed reliever, Liam Hendriks, plans on being ready at the Trade Deadline (July 30) per Ian Browne, of MLB.com. Time will tell if this comes to fruition, but this timing would align well since Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. 

September 30, 2023
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox announced after last night’s game that Kenley Jansen will be shut down for the season, saying after not pitching for several weeks it wouldn’t be fair to him. This led to Garret Whitlock getting a 2 inning save last night. This means that Josh Winckowski will likely be in line for any save chance today, and Whitlock has a chance at a save on Sunday. John Schreiber fills out the end of the year hierarchy for the Red Sox, who have already started looking to next year.

Updated hierarchy: Winckowski | Whitlock | Schreiber.

September 29, 2023
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox placed Chris Martin on the injured list with a viral infection. He ends the year with three saves, a 1.05 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 46 strikeouts across 51.1 innings. Garret Whitlock could see some extra late-inning looks this weekend.

Updated hierarchy: Jansen | Winckowski | Whitlock.

September 24, 2023
Boston Red Sox — Kenley Jansen was reinstated from the COVID IL, and although he didn’t pitch yesterday, he will resume closing duties for Boston. 

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

September 23, 2023
Boston Red Sox — Kenley Jansen remained out on Friday and Chris Martin pitched a perfect inning for his 3rd save of the season. 

Hierarchy remains: Martin | Winckowski | Whitlock.

September 20, 2023
Boston Red Sox — Kenley Jansen won’t rejoin the team in Texas – he’s projected to be back on Friday.

Hierarchy remains: Martin | Winckowski | Whitlock.

September 14, 2023
Boston Red Sox — As we alerted you yesterday, Kenley Jansen has COVID-19 and will be out at least seven days on that specialized IL. Chris Martin should be in line for whatever saves come in Jansen’s absence, with Josh Winckowski, Garrett Whitlock, and John Schreiber in the middle-innings mix.

Updated hierarchy: Martin | Winckowski | Whitlock.

September 13, 2023
Boston Red Sox — Turns out the fatigue and illness was actually COVID, as Kenley Jansen was placed on the IL today. We expect Chris Martin to take over the job, with Josh Winckowski and Garrett Whitlock moving up. 

Updated hierarchy: Martin | Winckowski | Whitlock.

September 13, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Kenley Jansen left Tuesday night’s game because of fatigue and illness symptoms, which makes sense because we’d be sick and tired of being on the Red Sox too.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

September 3, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Nick Pivetta pitched the final three innings of a 9-5 Red Sox win yesterday to earn his first of the season.  Pivetta has bounced between starting and multi-inning relief outings this season and does not typically factor into the Red Sox late inning plans.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

August 28, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Manager Alex Cora said Kenley Jansen was available to pitch Sunday. The Red Sox lost, so there was no save situation and Jansen did not play, but he should be presumed to be available moving forward.  

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

August 27, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Boston was still without Kenley Jansen, but in a back and forth battle that saw Chris Martin and Josh Winckowski called in to put out fires earlier, the 9th inning of a 3 run game fell to John Schreiber. Schreiber made it interesting, loading the bases for Mookie Betts with 2 outs, but the scripted ended wasn’t meant to be. A long flyout earned Schreiber his first save on the year. Jansen isn’t yet back with the team, but will be soon, and while Schreiber got the save yesterday, the highest leverage spot did fall to Martin. No changes to the hierarchy as we expect Jansen to be back soon. 

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

August 25, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Boston got some good news Thursday regarding the status of closer Kenley Jansen (hamstring). Jansen said he felt good Thursday and he’ll see how his hamstring feels in the coming days. Reporter Christopher Smith said Jansen sounded confident he’d be able to avoid the injured list. Chris Martin could be in line for vulture saves until Jansen is ready to go.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

August 24, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Kenley Jansen left Wednesday’s game with right hamstring tightness after retiring the first batter he faced in the ninth inning. If Jansen misses any time, Chris Martin will be the frontrunner to close games for Boston. Martin pitched the eighth inning of a tie game on Tuesday, so Josh Winckowski closed out the win in the 10th.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

August 12, 2023
Boston Red Sox – We took a shot in the dark yesterday in predicting that Kyle Barraclough would get a vulture save, and while that didn’t happen, Barraclough did get a win, posting 1.1 scoreless innings. The save went to Chris Murphy, who pitched three scoreless to finish off the 5-2 victory.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

July 9, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Brandon Walter pitched the final three innings of a 10-3 Red Sox win to earn his first save.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

July 3, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Making just his 6th career appearance, Joe Jacques picked up a save with a clean inning. Kenley Jansen was off and Chris Martin had pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

June 21, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Corey Kluber recorded his first MLB save by allowing four runs on five hits (including three homers) in the final three innings of a 10-4 win.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

June 12, 2023
Boston Red Sox – After Kenley Jansen kept the game tied in the 9th, the Red Sox plated the automatic runner in the top of the 10th, allowing Chris Martin to pick up an impressive save.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

May 20, 2023
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox were up 6-1 going into the 7th inning where they handed the ball to Josh Winckowski. Winckowski retired the next 9 hitters he faced (with the help of a double play) to pick up his second save of the year, and first of the 3 inning variety. Winckowski continues to be a valuable part of the Boston Bullpen, but he won’t be taking over for Jansen anytime soon. 

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski

May 11, 2023
Boston Red Sox — Kenley Jansen earned his 400th career save on Wednesday, becoming only the seventh reliever ever to reach that milestone. Craig Kimbrel, at 397, should be next, but after that, only Edwin Diaz (205 at age 29) has any chance to hit 400 by 2030.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

May 5, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Closer Kenley Jansen would have been available if he was needed on Thursday, according to manager Alex Cora, so it’s safe to stick him back in your lineups.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

May 3, 2023
Boston Red Sox – With Kenley Jansen still unavailable on Tuesday, Josh Winckowski, who was supposed to also be unavailable, recorded his first MLB save with a seven-pitch ninth inning. John Schreiber was used in the seventh during a tie game to face the top of the Toronto order, and while that’s a big spot, we can’t ignore manager Alex Cora’s willingness to go back to Winckowski in the ninth inning for the second straight night.

Updated hierarchy: Jansen | Martin | Winckowski.

May 2, 2023
Boston Red Sox – In Kenley Jansen’s absence, the Red Sox went with Chris Martin in the 7th — who pitched a scoreless, albeit shaky frame for his 4th hold — followed by Josh Winckowski, who pitched the 8th and 9th. Through minimal fault of his own, Winckowski’s outing was adventurous, as two 8th-inning errors allowed the tying runs to score, but Winckowski stayed on for the 9th and, with some better defense behind him, pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Winckowski then earned the win when the Red Sox walked off in the bottom half. This situation remains fluid until Jansen is available again.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Martin | Schreiber.

May 1, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Chris Martin is back from the IL, and should go back to being one of the key set-up men for Kenley Jansen. If Boston thinks he’s ready right away, he may get a save chance or two while Jansen deals with a back injury.

Updated hierarchy: Jansen | Martin | Schreiber.

April 30, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Kenley Jansen allowed his first earned run of the season yesterday and blew his first save.  He was battling back tightness that started during conditioning yesterday and he is expected to be unavailable for at least the next couple days.  We will keep an eye on this to see if Jansen will need a stint on the IL, but for now, John Schreiber could be a good speculative add today.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Schreiber | Winckowski.

April 21, 2023
Boston Red Sox – It appears the days of “high-leverage Ryan Brasier” are already over. Brasier was used in mop-up roles Wednesday (he allowed three runs with the Red Sox trailing 7-2) and Thursday (he allowed two runs with the Red Sox leading 11-2). He now has a 7.94 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. With Chris Martin injured, look for John Schreiber and Josh Winckowski to set things up for Kenley Jansen.

Updated hierarchy: Jansen | Schreiber | Winckowski.

April 17, 2023
Boston Red Sox – Chris Martin was placed on the IL on Sunday with shoulder inflammation, and Ryan Brasier got the surprise vulture save on Sunday in Martin’s absence (Kenley Jansen had pitched two straight), so we’ll slot Brasier in to the set-up role.

Updated hierarchy: Jansen | Brasier | Schreiber.

March 25, 2023

Boston Red Sox — In a scary moment, Kenley Jansen felt lightheaded and  walked off with a trainer after facing his first batter of the game last night. After the game Jansen said that he did not believe it was related to any heart issues, and was just the result of dehydration. He expects to pitch again this weekend, and continues to be on pace to start the season as the Red Sox closer. Hopefully this is nothing but a blip on the radar, and Jansen returns with no ill-effects tomorrow.  

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Jansen | Martin | Schreiber.

March 13, 2023
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox have been piecemealing their bullpen ever since they let Craig Kimbrel go in free agency after the 2018 season, but they enter 2023 with an unusual setup: some stability. Free agent signees Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin immediately fill out an improved back end of the bullpen, while lefties Richard Bleier and Joely Rodriguez — and holdover John Schreiber — add some depth for the middle innings.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Jansen | Martin | Schreiber.
Holds candidates: Martin, Schreiber, Bleier, Rodriguez, Ryan Brasier.

October 4, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes got the 9th inning on Monday, following John Schreiber and Ryan Brasier, who pitched the 7th and 8th, respectively. Barnes and Schreiber remain the likely committee leaders as the year winds down.

Hierarchy remains: *Schreiber | Barnes | Strahm.
* = closer-by-committee

September 30, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Kaleb Ort pitched a scoreless ninth inning Thursday for his first career save after Matt Straham pitched earlier in the game and allowed a run. Matt Barnes, who had pitched in two straight, and John Schreiber, who last pitched Tuesday, did not appear. With Boston out of it, they could mix and match more than usual down the stretch, though Ort (6.26 ERA) shouldn’t be relied upon in fantasy leagues.

Hierarchy remains: *Schreiber | Barnes | Strahm.
* = closer-by-committee

September 29, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes got the call on the second straight day of work and closed out a 3-1 win over Baltimore.

Hierarchy remains: *Schreiber | Barnes | Strahm.
* = closer-by-committee

September 21, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Garrett Whitlock’s season is over, as he’ll have surgery next week in hopes to be ready for spring training. We’ll reluctantly add Matt Strahm to the hierarchy. Strahm did record a save last Friday, but he also walked three straight hitters on Tuesday as part of an awful ninth inning. Strahm’s rough outing paved the way for John Schreiber to enter the game and earn the save.

Updated hierarchy: *Schreiber | Barnes | Strahm.
* = closer-by-committee

September 17, 2022
Boston Red Sox – After the Red Sox took the lead in the bottom of the 8th, they turned to Matt Strahm to protect a 1 run lead in the 9th. Strahm walked a batter, but was otherwise unscathed for his 4th save on the year. Strahm was warming up to face L-R-L before Boston took the lead, so leaving the save for him makes sense if the Red Sox liked the matchup. As a lefty specialist, Strahm may get some more high leverage looks, but that isn’t quite enough to crack the hierarchy.   

Hierarchy remains: *Schreiber | Barnes | Whitlock.
* = closer-by-committee

September 12, 2022
Boston Red Sox – A dare-we-say resurgent Matt Barnes pitched a clean 9th inning for his 5th save of the season. He’s now logged two of the last four Boston saves (John Schreiber got the other two) and Alex Cora likes what he sees from the righty, who came into the season with expectations that he’d be one of the better closers in the league. Obviously, it didn’t go that way at first, but in 13 appearances spanning the last calendar month, he’s allowed runs in only two appearances, and he could ascend to the top of this committee if Cora continues to look his way.

Updated hierarchy: *Schreiber | Barnes | Whitlock.
* = closer-by-committee

September 5, 2022
Boston Red Sox — As the vulture save watch noted, Garrett Whitlock needed a rest today, so it was John Schreiber who got the call in the 9th inning. He converted for his 7th save on the year, and now has 3 of the last 4 Red Sox saves. Schreiber is also riding a modest 6 game scoreless streak, while Whitlock has given up multiple runs twice in a row. While we don’t expect Whitlock to be completely closed out of the 9th inning, Schreiber seems to have the inside track to save chances for now. 

Hierarchy remains: *Schreiber| Whitlock| Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

September 4, 2022
Boston Red Sox — John Schreiber recorded his 6th save of the season by pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the 9th inning.  The bases loaded jam was created by Matt Barnes, who originally started the 9th inning but was only able to record one out while allowing three hits.  Garrett Whitlock pitched the 7th and 8th innings, but allowed three earned runs.  That is two straight outings where Whitlock has allowed three runs.  Schreiber has been the Red Sox most consistent reliever and we will see if that translates to more save chances in the future.

Hierarchy remains: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

September 2, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Tanner Houck has been shut down as his back issues are cropping up again. Manager Alex Cora said Houck might not pitch again this season. It’ll be a bit messy moving forward for Boston, with a group that includes John Schreiber, Garret Whitlock and Matt Barnes in the mix for saves.

Hierarchy remains: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

September 1, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Garrett Whitlock gave up three runs in two innings to let the Twins back into the game, but Matt Barnes shut the door (after a couple baserunners) for his fourth save.

Hierarchy remains: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

August 31, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Tanner Houck was scheduled to throw live BP yesterday but couldn’t because his back continues to be sore. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Ryan Brasier was able to throw live BP yesterday.

Hierarchy remains: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

August 28, 2022
Boston Red Sox – John Schreiber came on with the tying run on deck and two outs in the 8th inning and was able to get a ground out to end the threat.  He came back out for the 9th inning and finished off the 5-1 victory for his 5th save of the season.  

Hierarchy remains: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

August 21, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Garrett Whitlock pitched the final two innings of the Red Sox victory yesterday to pick up his 5th save of the season.  Whitlock made his first appearance since last Sunday and should continue to be the first choice for saves when he is available.  

Updated hierarchy: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

August 17, 2022
Boston Red Sox – With a 2 run lead going into the 9th the Red Sox turned to Matt Barnes, who closed the door on the Pirates for his 3rd save of the year and first since May. The Red Sox were trying to rest their high leverage arms, but were forced to use John Schreiber in the 8th after Austin Davis pitched himself into a jam. Before the game manager Dave Bush said that Garrett Whitlock is still dealing with a hip injury and they wanted to rest him if possible. With the save last night Barnes rejoins the hierarchy, but the Red Sox would certainly prefer to use Whitlock if he is available. 

Updated hierarchy: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

August 15, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Garrett Whitlock pitched a perfect 9th inning on Sunday night for his fourth save. He remains the favorite for saves with Tanner Houck on the IL.

Hierarchy remains: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Sawamura.
* = closer-by-committee

August 12, 2022
Boston Red Sox – With a 1 run lead the Red Sox turned to John Schreiber for the 8th inning, and after getting through it in 8 pitches, he stuck around for the 9th. He gave up a single, but was otherwise perfect to secure his 4th save on the year. This continues to be a 2 headed monster in Boston, and we expect Whitlock will see the next opportunity. 

Hierarchy remains: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Sawamura.
* = closer-by-committee

August 10, 2022
Boston Red Sox – As we alerted you yesterday, Tanner Houck was placed on the 15-day IL due to lower back inflammation. Garrett Whitlock and John Schreiber are the only Red Sox relievers worth owning while Houck is on the IL, but if you enjoy being disappointed, you can pick up Hirokazu Sawamura, Austin Davis or Ryan Brasier.

Updated hierarchy: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Sawamura.
* = closer-by-committee

August 9, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Tanner Houck was placed on the IL today, we expect Garrett Whitlock and John Schreiber to lead a committee while he is out, and we think Hirokazu Sawamura will see an increased role as well. 

Updated hierarchy: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Sawamura.
* = closer-by-committee

July 29, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Just as the Vulture Save Watch called for, Garret Whitlock was called upon Thursday to close out the Guardians for his third save. Tanner Houck had pitched in two straight.

Hierarchy remains: Houck | Whitlock | Schreiber.

July 26, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Garrett Whitlock picked up a two-inning save last night, retiring all six hitters he faced. It’s likely that the Red Sox will continue to use him in a multi-inning role, so Tanner Houck is still the best bet for saves on any given night. However, if Whitlock nabs another save or two, we might slap a committee tag on here. Stay tuned.

Updated hierarchy: Houck | Whitlock | Schreiber.

July 23, 2022
Boston Red Sox –  It wasn’t a traditional save situation, but if you expand the timeline a bit, infielder Yolmer Sanchez found himself pitching in a high leverage spot. He entered the 9th inning with the Red Sox already having given up 27 runs. 3 more and they would tie the Orioles for the most runs surrendered in a single game in the modern era. Mixing a high 70s fastball with a 45 MPH eephus pitch, Sanchez escaped the inning only giving up 1 run and left the Red Sox in a tie for 5th most runs surrendered. This was actually Sanchez’s 2nd career relief appearance, as he threw an inning for the White Sox in 2020. Given how poor the rest of the bullpen was last night, the Sox may need to keep Sanchez nearby.  

Hierarchy remains: Houck | Schreiber | Whitlock.

July 16, 2022
Boston Red Sox – New York’s hottest ticket was last night’s Red-Sox Yankees game.  This one had everything: pre game IL moves; Aaron Boone getting ejected arguing balls and strikes; a Ryan Brasier Vulture Save; and a Houckdini. What’s a Houckdini? It’s that thing where you commit a throwing error to let the tying run score, walk the bases loaded with no outs, then get a 3rd to catcher to first double play and a groundout to escape the inning before earning the win in extras after Xander Bogaerts steals a run on a wild pitch. Dirty Water indeed. 

Updated Hierarchy: Houck | Schreiber | Whitlock.

July 13, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Matt Strahm suffered a left wrist contusion during this embarrassing display of defense. He got an X-ray after the game and we’ll let you know if he ends up on the IL.

Hierarchy remains: Houck | Schreiber | Strahm.

July 5, 2022
Boston Red Sox – John Schreiber got the final two outs of the top of the 8th in a 2-run game, and after the Red Sox added two more runs in the bottom half, he stayed on to collect his third save of the season. His ERA now sits at 0.66 on the season.

Hierarchy remains: Houck | Schreiber | Strahm.

June 30, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Tanner Houck will be back with the Red Sox for Friday’s game against the Cubs and should immediately retake the reins of the ninth inning. Maybe not for long, though, with Alex Cora insinuating that Garrett Whitlock will re-enter the bullpen when he returns from the injured list.

Updated hierarchy: Houck | Schreiber | Strahm.

June 27, 2022
Boston Red Sox – The unvaccinated Tanner Houck won’t be making the trip to Toronto with the rest of the team, so we’ll remove him from the hierarchy for the next couple days. The Red Sox will likely give the keys to the 9th inning to John Schreiber during their time in Canada.

Updated hierarchy: Schreiber | Strahm | Robles.

June 22, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Both Tanner Houck and John Schreiber had pitched in two straight games and faithful readers of the Vulture Save Watch were nearly rewarded when Matt Strahm entered the ninth to protect a 5-3 lead. However, Strahm gave up a leadoff homer, and after the lefty retired the next two hitters, manager Alex Cora wisely went to Schreiber for a third straight game to face Javier Báez. Báez singled, but Schreiber got Miguel Cabrera to ground out to end the game. Houck and Schreiber have cemented themselves as the top two relievers for the Red Sox.

Hierarchy remains: Houck | Schreiber | Strahm.

June 20, 2022
Boston Red Sox – John Schreiber struck out the side in the 8th inning on Sunday, picking up his 10th hold of the year. With Tanner Houck cementing himself in the 9th — we’re kicking his asterisk with the caveat that he’s still building up to more traditional closer usage — Schreiber is starting to look like the clear handcuff.

Updated hierarchy: Houck | Schreiber | Strahm.

June 13, 2022
Boston Red Sox – A day after Hansel Robles failed to get the job done in the 9th inning on a night that Tanner Houck was unavailable, the latter closed out a 2-0 shutout victory for the Red Sox with a perfect 9th. It was Houck’s second save on the season, and he’s likely the guy the Red Sox will use for these opportunities more often than not. Note, however, that Houck hasn’t pitched in back to back games all season long, and while his usage might be trending toward more frequent, shorter-stint appearances, a few other relievers might fill in until he gets there.

Hierarchy remains: *Houck | Strahm | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

June 12, 2022
Boston Red Sox — After the Red Sox took the lead in the top of the 9th, they sent Hansel Robles out there for the bottom of the inning to try and close out the game.  Unfortunately for Red Sox fans and fantasy owners, Robles could not get the job done.  Robles looked to be settling into the closer’s role before going on the IL, but he couldn’t convert his first chance since returning.  Tanner Houck seems like the best bet to close games when he is available but we will see if anybody can establish themselves as the primary closer.

Hierarchy remains: *Houck | Strahm | Robles
* = closer-by-committee

June 11, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Hansel Robles is back for Boston, pitching a scoreless 7th inning after the Red Sox took the lead. Matt Strahm pitched the 8th, and escaped a jam only giving up 1 run, which left the save chance to Tanner Houck. We noted on Thursday that the Red Sox might give Houck a look at closer, and he responded with a clean inning to grab his first save of the year. Boston has shown a lot of flexibility with the back end of their bullpen, but this order seems to be how they would prefer the late innings to go. We will slide Houck to the top of the committee and see if he can stick there. 

Updated Hierarchy: *Houck | Strahm | Robles
* = closer-by-committee

June 9, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Two games, two straight saves for Matt Strahm. We don’t know what’s going on here really — Strahm and Jake Diekman have strikeout stuff, John Schreiber has been very effective, and Tanner Houck looked like he might get a shot at the job, but is valuable in a multi-inning role as well. This hierarchy is likely to keep shifting and it’s best to get your save needs met elsewhere.

Updated hierarchy: *Strahm | Schreiber | Houck.
* = closer-by-committee

June 8, 2022
Boston Red Sox – After the Red Sox took the lead in the top of the 10th, Matt Strahm tossed a perfect bottom half of the inning to earn his second save of the season. Jake Diekman had already pitched, issuing two walks and allowing a run in the fifth while the Sox were already trailing. Tanner Houck held the Angels scoreless in the eighth and the ninth to help send the game to extras.

Updated hierarchy: *Houck | Schreiber | Strahm.
* = closer-by-committee

June 5, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Tanner Houck pitched a scoreless 8th inning last night and although that may seem meaningless since the Red Sox were up 8-0, it is worth noting that the Red Sox were only up 4-0 when he started warming up.  Even more noteworthy is the fact that if the Red Sox had not added on runs in Friday night’s victory, Houck was warming up to come in for the save chance.  That is enough to move Houck to the top of this committee but keep in mind that he will often be used for multiple innings so he likely won’t be available for traditional saves as often.  That means John Schreiber and Jake Diekman could still be in the mix when Houck is unavailable and this is still a very unpredictable bullpen at this point. 

Updated hierarchy: *Houck | Schreiber | Diekman.
* = closer-by-committee

May 29, 2022
Boston Red Sox – We got a Red Sox doubleheader yesterday to try and see what the Red Sox will do with their bullpen after Hansel Robles was placed on the IL.  The Red Sox won the first game 5-3 and showed how they would probably prefer to use their bullpen at this point, which is not at all.  Nathan Eovaldi pitched a complete game for what he thought was the first time in his life.  It turns out he did it twice in High-A but that doesn’t change the fact that the Red Sox preferred to let a guy who had never pitched a complete game in 210 starts finish out the win rather than send somebody from their bullpen out there.  In a game two loss, the Red Sox used Jake Diekman and Matt Barnes while John Schreiber and Matt Strahm did not pitch.  It’s hard to read too much into one game, but Alex Cora had good things to say about Schreiber the other day so we will slide him up to the head of the committee for now.

Updated hierarchy: *Schreiber | Strahm | Diekman.
* = closer-by-committee

May 28, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Hansel Robles was placed on the IL this morning with back spasms. The move is retroactive to May 25, and a combination of Jake Diekman, John Schreiber and Matt Strahm will take over the committee.

Updated hierarchy: *Diekman | Schreiber | Strahm.
* = closer-by-committee

May 22, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes did not take kindly to being dropped from our hierarchy, locking up his second save of the year after the Red Sox took the lead in the 8th inning. Jake Diekman pitched the 6th inning and Hansel Robles took the heart of the order in the 7th. John Schreiber picked up the win pitching the 8th inning, which left the 9th for Barnes. Barnes has had a rough start to the year, so a solid performance in a tight spot may be just the jolt he needs to get back on track. This muddies the late inning waters for the Red Sox though, as nobody seems to be a clear cut leader of this bullpen. The save last night gets Barnes back on the hierarchy, but this is a pure committee and any one of the top 4 arms could be in line for saves. 

Updated hierarchy: *Robles | Diekman | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

May 21, 2022
Boston Red Sox – For the second straight game the Red Sox scored 3 in the bottom of the 8th to take away a save situation, but Boston may have found some help for the back end of their bullpen in John Schreiber. Schrieber’s near sidearm delivery has been baffling hitters all year. He pitched the 7th on Thursday and the 8th last night, and has yet to give up an earned run. Notably Matt Barnes did not make it into either game. While Boston is still searching for consistency in the late innings, Schreiber has worked his way into the hierarchy for now. 

Updated hierarchy: *Robles | Diekman | Schreiber.
* = closer-by-committee

May 17, 2022
Boston Red Sox – Hansel Robles picked up his second save of the season — good for the team lead — with a clean 9th inning, after the ostensibly-committee-leading Jake Diekman pitched in the 6th. That’s enough to swap them for now, though this is a bullpen very much in flux. (Matt Barnes pitched and was bad, again, just FYI.)

Updated hierarchy: *Robles | Diekman | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

May 11, 2022
Boston Red Sox — John Schreiber picked up his first career save on Tuesday with two perfect innings of work. He entered the eighth with a 6-4 lead and then stayed on for the ninth after the Sox tacked on three runs. Schreiber, called up this past weekend, also got the eighth inning against the White Sox on Saturday with Boston holding on to a 1-0 lead. He has yet to allow a run in five MLB appearances this season and is worth keeping an eye on as the Red Sox try and figure out their late-inning plans.

Hierarchy remains: *Diekman | Robles | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

May 5, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes gave up four runs (three earned) in the top of the tenth on Wednesday, and acknowledged after the game that he’s been “terrible” this season. Hansel Robles and Jake Diekman combined to blow the save an inning earlier, so nothing is going particularly well in the Boston bullpen these days.

Hierarchy remains: *Diekman | Robles | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

April 30, 2022
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox tried to use a combination of Jake Diekman and Hansel Robles to close out Friday’s game, but when Robles ran into trouble in the 9th they pulled him in favor of Matt Strahm. Strahm walked the first batter he faced before getting a strikeout to secure his first save of the year. Strahm has been solid in the early going, but isn’t quite ready to crack the hierarchy yet. Diekman was brought in to face the top of the lineup, and Matt Barnes was coming off pitching in 2 of 3, so a rest for him isn’t too unusual. The Red Sox are still looking for some certainty in their bullpen, but we didn’t get that last night. 

Hierarchy remains: *Diekman | Robles | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

April 27, 2022
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox may want Matt Barnes to take over as closer but they sure didn’t act like it on Tuesday. After Hansel Robles picked up an eighth-inning hold facing the middle of the Toronto order, Jake Diekman entered the ninth for the save. He gave up back-to-back doubles, struck out two and then allowed a homer to George Springer before Barnes came in to get send the game to extras and an eventual Sox loss. It’s hard to trust anyone in the Sox bullpen right now without Garrett Whitlock.

Updated hierarchy: *Diekman | Robles | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

April 24, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Garrett Whitlock was very impressive in his start yesterday as he struck out seven batters and only allowed one hit in four innings.  The game was tied at zero through nine innings, including no hits allowed by the Rays.  When the Red Sox took the lead in the top of the 10th, Hansel Robles came on for the bottom of the inning to try and close it out.  Unfortunately for Red Sox fans and fantasy owners, he gave up a walk-off homer to blow the save.  The Red Sox are in full committee mode and nobody has done anything to stand out so far.  Matt Barnes is the guy to watch since the Red Sox have said they would like him back in the role and he came in after Jake Diekman walked the bases loaded on Friday to get the final out and record his first save of the season.

Updated hierarchy: *Diekman | Barnes | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

April 20, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Alex Cora said after Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Toronto that he managed like it was a playoff game. That included using Garrett Whitlock in the ninth inning to close out the contest, though Cora did say that it wasn’t the perfect situation to use him. Whitlock is Boston’s best reliever, but is he going to consistently get save chances? It’s hard to say based on Cora’s comments tonight and Whitlock’s previous usage. We’ll put Jake Diekman, who got the final out of the eighth, at the top of this hierarchy for now and see how Cora decides to use Whitlock.

Updated hierarchy: *Diekman | Whitlock | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

April 14, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes pitched a low-leverage sixth with a five-run lead, and Jake Diekman and Hansel Robles worked in high leverage later after the Tigers fought back into the game. Diekman and Robles have looked very good in the early going, as has long man Garrett Whitlock. Stock in Barnes is continuing to trend sharply downward.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Diekman | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

April 11, 2022
Boston Red Sox – With Matt Barnes still nursing a back injury, Jake Diekman picked up Boston’s first save of the year on Sunday. The team is hoping Barnes will return today.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Diekman | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

April 10, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes is dealing with a tight back and won’t pitch until Monday at the earliest.  Jake Diekman and Hansel Robles should see save chances while Barnes is unavailable, and we will alert you if Barnes ends up needing a stint on the IL. 

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Diekman | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

April 8, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Manager Alex Cora said he will not have a set closer to begin 2022, but he hopes Matt Barnes can pitch himself back into the role. Barnes dealt with decreased velocity this spring. Garrett Whitlock might be the most talented arm in the bullpen, but he’s currently stretched out and is expected to piggyback Rich Hill starts, at least at the beginning of the year. We’ll put Hansel Robles into the hierarchy, but this situation is still fluid. 

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Diekman | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

March 23, 2022
Boston Red Sox — Despite their strong 2021 season, the Red Sox never really had a reliable option for saves by the end of the year. With Adam Ottavino gone, the Red Sox will likely turn to Matt Barnes as their first option at closer. Garrett Whitlock was sharp out of the ‘pen last season but if he ends up in the bullpen it’s probably in a multi-inning role. The Sox signed Jake Diekman and Matt Straham, with Diekman bringing closing experience with him to Boston. Alex Cora is also high on Hirokazu Sawamura. We’ll plan on Barnes being the first one to get a crack at saves, with Whitlock and Diekman behind him. If you’re playing the long game, Eduardo Bazardo is a name worth monitoring.

Starting 2022 hierarchy: *Barnes | Whitlock | Diekman.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Whitlock, Diekman, Hirokazu Sawamura.

October 3, 2021
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox went to Adam Ottavino again in the 8th inning and he struggled.  Ottavino was trying to protect a one-run lead but he was pulled after allowing a double and a pair of walks while only recording one out.  After the Red Sox scored four runs in the top of the 9th and Austin Davis made a mess of things to start the bottom of the 9th, Hansel Robles came on to record the final three outs.  That’s two straight saves for Robles, while Ottavino hasn’t recorded a save in over a month.  Not that it matters much with this being the last day of the regular season, but we will move Robles to the head of this committee.

Updated hierarchy: *Robles | Ottavino | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

October 2, 2021
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox used Adam Ottavino to protect a 3 run lead in the 8th inning of a must win game, leaving the 9th for Hansel Robles. Ottavino gave up a solo homer, while Robles worked around a couple walks to close the game out. The Red Sox are in a battle for their playoff lives, and going into the last two games the bullpen has been stretched pretty thin, with Ottavino pitching back to back, Robles in 3 of 4 and Barnes 3 straight. Keep an eye on the vulture save watch to see who has the best chance to close over the next couple days. 

Hierarchy Remains: *Ottavino | Robles | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

September 20, 2021
ston Red Sox – Garrett Richards has taken well to his bullpen assignment (20.2 IP, 2 ER — though he also allowed 5 unearned in one particularly ugly outing) and the Red Sox have rewarded him with some higher-leverage work. He closed out victories both Saturday and Sunday, with the latter coming in a save situation. We’ll slide him on to the hierarchy for now and see how Boston continues to deploy its pen going forward.

Updated hierarchy: *Ottavino | Robles | Richards.
* = closer-by-committee

September 18, 2021
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox activated Matt Barnes from the IL yesterday, and immediately gave him the eighth inning with a six-run lead. Barnes pitched a clean inning, which is enough to get him back on the hierarchy, but this still seems like a committee for the last few weeks of the season. 

Updated hierarchy: *Ottavino | Robles | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

September 12, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Josh Taylor picked up an extra innings save yesterday, pitching a scoreless 10th inning.  Garrett Whitlock pitched the 8th and 9th innings with the game tied.  The Red Sox are still in committee mode and it’s tough to know who will get the save on any given night.  The last four Red Sox saves have been recorded by four different relievers and we will see if anybody can separate themselves over the last few weeks of the season.

Hierarchy remains: *Ottavino | Whitlock | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

September 9, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Boston is in full-fledged committee mode, calling on Hansel Robles for the save with a one-run lead against Tampa on Wednesday night. 

Hierarchy remains: *Ottavino | Whitlock | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

September 4, 2021
Boston Red Sox — After Cleveland tied the game in the 7th inning, the Red Sox brought in Adam Ottavino to escape the jam. He struck out both batters he faced and would go on to get the win, but that left the save opportunity to Garrett Whitlock, who got the last 4 outs to earn his 2nd save of the year. Ottavino definitely got the higher leverage work here, but last night showed that this is still a committee.

Hierarchy remains: *Ottavino | Whitlock | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

September 3, 2021
Boston Red Sox — A middling starting pitcher for much of the year, Garrett Richards has been much better since moving to the bullpen (1 ER in 13.1 IP), and he’s seeing more high-leverage work lately. Richards threw three scoreless innings Thursday to earn his second save and cover innings for a relief corps depleted by COVID-19. We’ll continue to monitor his use moving forward.

Hierarchy remains: *Ottavino | Whitlock | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

August 29, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Adam Ottavino picked up his second straight save for the Red Sox.  Ottavino came on to record the last two outs of the bottom of the 10th inning and earn his 10th save of the season.  Garrett Whitlock picked up the win with a scoreless 9th inning of a tie game.  Ottavino and Whitlock will both be unavailable for the next two days so Hansel Robles could be an option for saves the next couple days.

Hierarchy remains: *Ottavino | Whitlock | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

August 28, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Boston’s first save without Matt Barnes went to Adam Ottavino, who worked around a leadoff walk to secure his ninth save of the year. Garret Richards pitched a clean eighth to pick up the hold. This is definitely a committee, and Garrett Whitlock may have been unavailable after throwing 20 pitches on Thursday, but the save chance for Ottavino puts him atop the hierarchy for now.

Updated hierarchy: *Ottavino | Whitlock | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

August 26, 2021
Boston Red Sox — After Matt Barnes’s latest implosion and prior to the start of Wednesday’s game, Alex Cora confirmed that Barnes was not likely to get the next save chance. Cora name-checked several ninth-inning options, including Hansel Robles — who saved the Red Sox on Tuesday night, but gave up five runs in the tenth last night — sometime-starter Garrett Richards, and rookie Garrett Whitlock. Adam Ottavino didn’t get a mention, but the eighth-inning mainstay has eight saves already. We think this will be a true committee for at least the next few days, and the combination of performance and workload leads us to think Whitlock will get the next shot.

Updated hierarchy: *Whitlock | Ottavino | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

August 25, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes was called upon to protect a three-run lead against the Twins in the ninth inning and proceeded to allow a leadoff homer followed by two walks before being mercifully pulled by Alex Cora. Hansel Robles was the next man up and, facing the team that traded him to Boston, retired all three batters he faced to pick up his first save as a member of the Red Sox. After the game, Cora said that he didn’t want to pick on Barnes but that they’re concerned and that they have to make adjustments. It remains to be seen if those adjustments will officially include time off from the ninth inning, but it wouldn’t hurt to pick up Adam Ottavino if he’s still available in your league.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

August 14, 2021
Boston Red Sox — With the Red Sox up big, they brought Garrett Richards out of the bullpen first. He never gave up the ball, working 3 scoreless innings to earn his first save since May of 2013. Richards, who started the season as a starter, doesn’t usually factor into the Red Sox late inning plans.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

August 11, 2021
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox bullpen has been a disaster lately, with Matt Barnes giving up four runs in the ninth to finish a night that saw the Sox blow a 4-1 lead. Barnes has been a frequent contributor to that disaster, and Alex Cora acknowledged that he needs to do a better job of giving Barnes some rest. Meanwhile, Hansel Robles has yet to earn a hold since arriving in Boston, with Josh Taylor, Garrett Whitlock and Hirokazu Sawamura the guys getting the bulk of the high-leverage chances ahead of Adam Ottavino and an overworked Barnes.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

August 8, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes pitched the bottom of the seventh inning of game two of the doubleheader yesterday with the game tied.  After the Red Sox took the lead in the top of the eighth inning, Adam Ottavino came on for the bottom of the inning and closed it out for his eighth save.  Ottavino was really struggling at the end of July but has strung together a couple scoreless appearances in August and should continue to pick up any saves when Barnes is not available.  

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Robles.

August 5, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes does not have COVID-19 and was reinstated from the injured list in time to earn a save in Wednesday’s game.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Robles.

August 4, 2021
Boston Red Sox – We alerted you yesterday that Matt Barnes was on the COVID IL. Well, that stint may come to an end today after Barnes tested negative. We’ll alert you when Barnes is officially allowed to sit in the bullpen and watch the Sox inevitably lose again.

Updated hierarchy: Ottavino | Robles | Taylor.

August 3, 2021
Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes was placed on the COVID IL today. Adam Ottavino is the likely frontrunner for saves while Barnes is out, with the newly acquired Hansel Robles potentially getting a shot as well.

Updated hierarchy: Ottavino | Robles | Taylor.

July 31, 2021
Boston Red Sox – Boston acquired Hansel Robles from the Minnesota Twins. While Robles won’t be the first option (or second) for saves, he does bolster a bullpen that has relied heavily on Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino. Robles has struggled with his command recently, but a change of scenery may be what he needs to get back on track. 

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Robles.

July 17, 2021
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox pitchers combined to throw a 3 hit shutout against a depleted Yankees team last night. This included 3 innings from Tanner Houck who earned his first career save in the process. Houck was called up presumably to join the rotation, so his value as a reliever is pretty limited, but this save was a nice way to start this stint with the big league club. 

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

July 6, 2021
Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes got the day off after throwing 33 pitches on Sunday, so Adam Ottavino picked up the save. We told you this would happen yesterday, of course. (VSW FTW!)

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

July 3, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes couldn’t hold a one-run lead in the ninth, and when the Red Sox scored in the top of the tenth, that left the save chance to Adam Ottavino. Ottavino worked around a leadoff single to secure his sixth save of the year. Barnes and Ottavino have been one of the most consistent closer-setup duos in the league this year, combining for 24 saves on the season. 

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

June 27, 2021
Boston Red Sox – As the Vulture Save Watch predicted yesterday, Matt Barnes got the day off and Adam Ottavino recorded the last four outs of a Red Sox win to pick up his fifth save of the season.  Ottavino will continue to see save chances when Barnes is unavailable.  

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

June 16, 2021
Boston Red Sox – Chalk one up for the Vulture Save Watch; Matt Barnes was unavailable to protect a three-run lead for Boston, so it fell to Adam Ottavino. He gave up a run, but locked down his fourth save of the year. Ottavino is one of the most reliable setup men in the game and has 13 holds to go with his four saves. Even though Matt Barnes has been a bit shaky in the last couple weeks, there is no reason to think Ottavino is taking his job. 

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

June 15, 2021
Boston Red Sox – Josh Taylor pitched the 8th inning ahead of Matt Barnes on Monday, earning his 8th save of the year. He seems to have recently surpassed Darwinzon Hernandez as the go-to late inning lefty, though Barnes and Adam Ottavino remain the clear 1-2 punch in this pen.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Taylor.

June 8, 2021
Boston Red Sox — After three straight days of work, Matt Barnes got a much-needed day off on Monday. The Sox turned to Adam Ottavino to get the last four outs of Monday’s game, which he did for his third save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Hernandez.

June 7, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Josh Taylor has become a powerful lefthanded weapon in the Boston bullpen, dominating over the last six weeks. Adam Ottavino and Darwinzon Hernandez seem pretty well-entrenched in this hierarchy, but between Taylor, Hirokazu Sawamura, and maybe even Brandon Workman, the Red Sox have a surfeit of good late-innings options. Phillips Valdez isn’t quite on the same level, but he did eke out a tenth-inning save Sunday night.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Hernandez.

June 4, 2021
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox activated old friend Brandon Workman, who exercised his opt-out clause and forced Boston’s hand. Workman got action in the ninth inning with a 5-0 lead on Thursday and allowed a solo shot to Yuli Gurriel but also recorded two strikeouts. Workman, who excelled as Boston’s closer in 2019, could become a regular in the late innings if he pitches well, but that remains to be seen. 

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Hernandez.

May 29, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Adam Ottavino got credit for the save but Mother Nature is the one that finished things. Ottavino pitched a clean sixth inning with a three-run lead before the game was rained out. Ottavino remains a good bet for saves when Matt Barnes is unavailable, or if you’re really good at predicting the weather.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Hernandez.

May 24, 2021
Boston Red Sox – Matt Andriese pitched with the Red Sox down by 4 runs on Sunday, as the team continues to look elsewhere for higher-leverage situations. We’re going to move Darwinzon Hernandez into his spot on the hierarchy; the lefty has been much better than Andriese as of late.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Hernandez.

May 14, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Garret Whitlock pitched the last three innings of an 8-1 win to earn his first save. Whitlock (1.77 ERA) has been quite the find for the Red Sox and is someone to target in deep leagues or dynasty leagues, though his long-term appeal is likely as a starting pitcher. 

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Andriese.

May 7, 2021
Boston Red Sox — As the Vulture Save Watch predicted, Matt Barnes was in need of some rest on Thursday, but we didn’t anticipate Adam Ottavino pitching for the third straight day. He did so, however, to pick up his first save with the Red Sox.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Andriese.

April 28, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Matt Andriese was impressive on Tuesday night, pitching a perfect eighth inning against the Mets’ 9-1-2 hitters. Alex Cora loves the way Andriese is throwing the ball right now, and the versatile righty has certainly pitched his way on to our hierarchy.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Andriese.

April 15, 2021
Boston Red Sox — In Wednesday’s opener, 24-year-old Darwinzon Hernandez picked up his second straight hold directly in front of Matt Barnes. It looks like Alex Cora trusts Hernandez over Hirokazu Sawamura at this point.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Hernandez.

April 11, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes continued his torrid start to the season, striking out a pair in a perfect 9th inning of a tie game.  Barnes now has 11 strikeouts in 5 innings so far this season and has yet to allow a hit.  He also picked up the win yesterday after the Red Sox took the lead in the 10th inning.  Matt Andriese ended up with the save in extra innings.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Ottavino | Sawamura.

April 1, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes was cleared to rejoin the team and will be ready for opening day today.  We will move Barnes back to the closer role, but it might be worth noting that the Red Sox haven’t actually announced whether Barnes or Ottavino will close.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Sawamura.

March 27, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be on the Opening Day roster. Adam Ottavino should take over as the closer, provided he isn’t also sidelined after contact tracing is complete. We’ll hopefully learn more on who is available and who isn’t, but don’t be surprised if things change quickly.

Updated hierarchy: Ottavino | Sawamura | Hernandez.

March 3, 2021
Boston Red Sox — Boston made some moves to bolster its bullpen as it seeks to stay competitive while also looking toward the future, as newcomers Adam Ottavino and Hirokazu Sawamura could challenge for save chances, at times. But Matt Barnes, who finished 2020 with a firm grip on the gig, seems poised to hang onto it to at least start the season. He has high strikeout upside but lacks the typical control of a dominant closer (12.1 K/9, 1.39 WHIP in 2020). Consider 24-year-old Darwinzon Hernandez a dark horse for late-inning looks.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Ottavino | Sawamura.
Holds candidates: Ottavino, Sawamura, Brasier, Hernandez.

September 11, 2020
Boston Red Sox — Austin Brice was placed on the 10-day IL Thursday. Expect Phillips Valdez to be among the options to slot in behind Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes as the Red Sox play out the string.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Brasier | Valdez.

September 9, 2020
Boston Red Sox — After Matt Barnes blew a save in game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader in Philadelphia, Austin Brice looked like he was on his way to doing the same for the Sox in game two. Just three of Brice’s 14 pitches were strikes, as he walked two straight hitters after somehow managing to record an out. Marcus Walden replaced Brice and retired both batters he faced to earn the save. 

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Brasier | Brice.

September 2, 2020
Boston Red Sox — Ryan Weber started Tuesday’s game, allowing two runs on four hits in four innings of work. The Red Sox, when not bragging about the luxury tax resetting, are resorting to starting guys like this, so we expect Weber to get another turn in the rotation. We’ll slide Austin Brice into the hierarchy for now. Also of note is that the Sox won’t be overextending any relievers who could serve a purpose next season. We apologize for even wasting your time with an update on this team.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Brasier | Brice.

August 23, 2020
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox got their first save chance after dealing away their closer Brandon Workman and as expected, Matt Barnes got the call.  Unfortunately for Red Sox fans and fantasy owners, he could not get the job done.  Ryan Brasier pitched 1.1 scoreless innings yesterday and could work his way into the closer conversation if Barnes falters again.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Brasier | Weber.

August 22, 2020
Boston Red Sox — Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree were traded to Philadelphia on Friday night, giving Matt Barnes an immediate save opportunity to convert. Barnes will get the first chance to close for Boston down the stretch — unless he too gets traded — but Ron Roenicke wouldn’t commit to save him exclusively for the ninth. A committee tag could be in his future.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Brasier | Weber.

August 21, 2020
Boston Red Sox — Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree have been traded to Philadelphia; expect Matt Barnes to move into the closer role if the Red Sox stumble into a save opp.

Updated hierarchy: Barnes | Brasier | Weber.

July 20, 2020
Boston Red Sox — Josh Taylor has been cleared to rejoin workouts after a bout with COVID-19, but we’ll slide him off the hierarchy for now.

Updated hierarchy: Workman | Barnes | Hembree.

February 24, 2020
Boston Red Sox — Longtime Boston reliever Brandon Workman (10-1, 1.88 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 13.1 K/9) surprised as an effective closer once he settled into the role during the 2019 season. After a quiet Red Sox offseason, he seemed like a logical bet to open 2020 as the No. 1 option for saves. Interim manager Ron Roenicke confirmed as much to open the spring, saying Workman “deserves that shot.” Other familiar names will round out Roenicke’s late-inning options, including Matt Barnes, Josh Taylor and Heath Hembree.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Workman | Barnes | Taylor.
Holds candidates: Barnes, Taylor, Hembree, Colten Brewer.

August 14, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Prior to Tuesday’s game, Alex Cora said that Nathan Eovaldi was likely to start Wednesday’s game and that he will build up to eventually rejoin the starting rotation. Of course, that was only if Eovaldi didn’t pitch in relief on Tuesday, and sure enough it was Eovaldi who pitched the Sox out of an eighth-inning jam (on just six pitches) to preserve a one-run lead that Brandon Workman blew in the following frame. That led to Andrew Cashner, whose terrible pitching is the reason Eovaldi is moving back to the rotation in the first place, to pick up his first career save in the 10th inning. Cashner’s save opportunity was by chance – he was going to pitch the 10th anyway – but the bigger story is Eovaldi’s usage. He will be available out of the bullpen today, but his time on our hierarchy is done for now.

Updated hierarchy: Workman | Barnes | Taylor.

August 9, 2019
Boston Red Sox — After Chris Sale torched the Angels with eight dominant innings, Brandon Workman retired the side in order for his seventh save, even after a heavy recent workload. He recently got a vote of confidence from Alex Cora and it appears the manager wasn’t kidding.

Hierarchy remains: Workman | Eovaldi | Barnes.

August 5, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Don’t expect Nate Eovaldi to ascend to the closer role any time soon, as Alex Cora on Sunday confirmed what we’d already suspected based on usage: Brandon Workman is his top choice for the 9th inning. We’ll remove Workman’s asterisk for now; look for Eovaldi to work in the 7th and 8th.

Updated hierarchy: Workman | Eovaldi | Barnes.

July 31, 2019
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox are unlikely to land a big-name reliever, which means Brandon Workman’s status as closer will remain unchanged until Nathan Eovaldi gets organized. Eovaldi, for his part, allowed one hit but struck out three with the Sox trailing by one run in the eighth inning. 

Hierarchy remains: *Workman | Eovaldi | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

July 24, 2019

Boston Red Sox — Alex Cora tasked Brandon Workman to get a six-out save with the Sox leading the Rays, 5-2, on Tuesday. Workman breezed through the eighth inning on 12 pitches and got two outs in the ninth, but he ran into trouble and eventually exited the game with the bases loaded and the Rays trailing by two. Marcus Walden came on and threw four straight balls before inducing a game-ending groundout to get the save. Meanwhile, Nathan Eovaldi’s first appearance off the IL on Monday was not great; he allowed five hits and three earned runs to turn an 8-0 eighth-inning lead into an 8-3 advantage. Eovaldi was available yesterday despite throwing 24 pitches, but Cora had his reasons to not go to Eovaldi in the ninth. We should see Eovaldi in the ninth inning today if there’s a save chance, especially because Cora said that Workman is unavailable and Matt Barnes likely will be available for only one out.

Hierarchy remains: *Workman | Eovaldi | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

July 20, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Nathan Eovaldi will be activated for tonight’s game in Baltimore, but he won’t necessarily be the closer right away according to Alex Cora. Cora seems to like what Brandon Workman has done lately in the ninth inning whenever David Price isn’t allowing homers to .173 hitters. Cora did say that Eovaldi will get high-leverage innings, but we’ll slot Eovaldi behind Workman based on Cora’s comments last night.

Updated hierarchy: *Workman | Eovaldi | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

July 19, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Nathan Eovaldi is flying with the Red Sox for their series against the Orioles and will likely be activated on Saturday. He figures to become the team’s closer on arrival, but don’t drop Brandon Workman just yet.

Hierarchy remains: *Workman | Barnes | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

July 18, 2019
Boston Red Sox – It wasn’t pretty, but Brandon Workman got the final five outs of the Red Sox’ win over Toronto on Wednesday for his fifth save of the season. Workman escaped a jam in the eighth inning and did the same in the ninth despite allowing one run. Workman is the team’s best reliever right now and should continue to get the ninth inning until Nathan Eovaldi is activated, which could be as soon as this weekend if things go well Thursday in Pawtucket. Meanwhile, Heath Hembree won’t be going to the IL, but it’ll be hard to actually trust him until he gets his velocity back to where it belongs.

Updated hierarchy: *Workman | Barnes | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

July 16, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Bullpen roulette continued for the Red Sox on Monday night, and this time, it was Brandon Workman who got the ninth inning. Workman now has four saves on the year to go along with a tidy 1.70 ERA, and could be used in this role more often going forward.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

July 14, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Nate Eovaldi will throw on Monday and then head out on a rehab assignment.  The Red Sox expect Eovaldi’s rehab to only last one or two outings and he could be back within a week.  The Red Sox completed a trade for Andrew Cashner  to solidify the back end of their rotation and allow Eovaldi to shift to the bullpen upon his return.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Hembree | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

July 8, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Heath Hembree, in just his second appearance off the IL, was tasked with the 9th inning on Sunday, and he converted for his second save of the season. Hembree also pitched the 9th in his first outing, albeit with a 4-run lead, but this usage indicates he is likely to get more save chances going forward, especially if the Sox backtrack on their plans to move Nate Eovaldi to the pen.

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Hembree | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

July 5, 2019
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox activated Heath Hembree from the IL on Thursday, which is a huge boost to their bullpen. Hembree has been one of their best relievers of late and should soon return to high-leverage work. We’ll monitor how the Sox deploy Hembree this weekend.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

July 2, 2019
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox, desperate for bullpen help, are reportedly on the verge of naming Nate Eovaldi as their closer when he returns from the IL. Eovaldi, who will likely be ready to return later this month, certainly has the stuff to close, though he has expressed his distaste for relieving in the past. In the interim, Boston also called up their best AAA reliever, sidearmer Trevor Kelley, who might find himself in high-leverage spots soon.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

June 27, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Boston leads the league with 16 blown saves, the latest courtesy of Matt Barnes, Jose Abreu, and the Green Monster. With an 8.49 ERA since June 2 and 10 earned runs in appearances on zero days’ rest, Barnes is making the case for the team to trade for a closer. Alex Cora pointed to the time off surrounding this weekend’s London series as an opportunity to reset the bullpen, but three days of rest and the return of Steven Wright and Heath Hembree won’t solve the problem. Five weeks remain until the trade deadline.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

June 26, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes struck out two in a solid seventh inning, preserving a three-run lead against the 9-1-2 hitters. Ryan Brasier and Brandon Workman pitched the eighth and the ninth, respectively, with Workman earning his third save of the season. Alex Cora has said that he doesn’t want Barnes facing an opponent’s best hitters every single game, and Tuesday seemed like a good spot to give him a high-leverage inning without any of the fuss. Workman and Barnes remain the two best options to pick up saves among the Red Sox bullpen.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

June 19, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes got the ninth again — in a tie game that didn’t end till the 17th — after two straight appearances in the eighth. He’s still at the top of the Boston bullpen.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

June 18, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Fresh off bereavement leave, Ryan Brasier pitched a clean 9th inning for his 7th save of the season. Given the successful outing, look for Brasier to re-enter the closer committee in Boston.

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

June 15, 2019
Boston Red Sox — We mentioned yesterday that Heath Hembree was unavailable Thursday due to forearm tightness, and the Sox officially placed Hembree on the 10-day IL on Friday. Alex Cora is confident that Hembree should be back once the 10 days expire. Look for Marcus Walden to pick up the slack while Hembree is gone. 

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Workman | Walden.
* = closer-by-committee

June 14, 2019
Boston Red Sox — The Boston bullpen was stretched extremely thin Thursday after David Price recorded just four outs. Marcus Walden, Brandon Workman and Matt Barnes (who faced the 3-4-5-6 hitters in the eighth with a lead) all appeared earlier in the game, leaving well-rested long man Josh Smith — the very last man in the bullpen — to pick up his first career save. Heath Hembree was notably absent, and we learned later he was unavailable with forearm tightness. His status for Friday is unknown, so stay tuned. 

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

June 12, 2019
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox bullpen disappointed yet again in Monday’s loss, and Alex Cora addressed the issue prior to Tuesday’s contest. Matt Barnes is still the most likely candidate for saves at this point, but Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree and Marcus Walden may all get a chance depending on matchups and what Cora wants. Another Sox reliever to watch is Mike Shawaryn, who has been impressive in his three relief appearances this season.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

June 7, 2019
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox emptied the cupboard Thursday, using six relievers to cover the final 7 2/3 innings of a 7-5 win over the Royals. Fireman Matt Barnes rewarded owners’ patience by collecting his fourth save — his first since May 7! Another intriguing arm in this pen is Heath Hembree, who had earned a save more recently than Barnes and picked up holds in three straight appearances. There should be plenty of save opportunities this summer for the Sox, and Barnes and Hembree will be in the mix along with Marcus Walden, Brandon Workman, and Ryan Brasier.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

June 3, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes had one of his worst outings of the season on Sunday, allowing the Yankees to pull back within three runs in the 8th inning, but in the 9th, Brandon continued his Workmanlike season, nabbing his 2nd save of the year. Look for him to continue to get the occasional save chance going forward.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Walden.
* = closer-by-committee

May 29, 2019
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox had a good plan for the final three innings last night, using Brandon Workman in the seventh, Marcus Walden in the eighth and Matt Barnes in the ninth. Walden got into trouble in his turn on the mound, however, and Barnes had to come in for the final two outs of the eighth. Alex Cora didn’t want to use Barnes for additional outs, which meant Ryan Brasier got a save chance that he quickly blew as Cleveland scored five runs in the top of the ninth. As we mentioned on Monday, Cora doesn’t want Barnes to face a team’s best hitters every night, but it’s clear he also doesn’t want to overwork his best reliever so early in the season just to chase a win in May.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Walden.
* = closer-by-committee

May 27, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Marcus Walden became the latest member of the Red Sox to earn a save, pitching a clean 9th inning to lower his ERA to 1.48. Matt Barnes pitched the 8th, and after the game, Alex Cora gave this quote to the Boston Globe: “[Barnes] needs to face some guys that they’re not the three, four, five all the time. It’s a grind for him. We’ve got to make sure that the other guys do the same thing. You saw Waldy today, he goes up there against three pretty good hitters, he got the save. But we’ve got to take care of him too. Facing three, four, five every day, it’s not going to help him out.” Look for Cora to continue mixing and matching with his best relievers, which means save opportunities will continue to be spread around.

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Workman | Walden.
* = closer-by-committee

May 20, 2019
Boston Red Sox – After a few rough outings this month, Ryan Brasier was bypassed on Sunday in favor of Brandon Workman, who picked up his first career save. Matt Barnes remains the best reliever in this bullpen, but he’ll probably continue to be used as a fireman, as he was on Sunday, when he got the 8th ahead of Workman.

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

May 9, 2019
Boston Red Sox — The top three Boston relievers pitched earlier in a tie game, so Heath Hembree was able to earn his first career save in the twelfth.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Brasier | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

May 8, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Ryan Brasier’s run of bad form continued on Tuesday when he allowed two runs on three hits in the eighth inning, turning a 6-3 lead into a 6-5 advantage. Matt Barnes got the last out of the eighth inning and stayed on in the ninth for his third save of the year. Brasier’s ERA has jumped from 1.32 to 3.68 over his last two appearances, and while he hasn’t been truly terrible in 2019, this recent rough patch is worth noticing. Barnes has been used as the team’s relief ace this season, but don’t be surprised if he gets a few more save chances with the Sox chasing wins and Brasier struggling. Also of note, Brandon Workman has not given up a run or a hit over his last nine innings of work.

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Brasier | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

May 3, 2019
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox have not fared so well out of the gate, earning ESPN’s only F- on the March/April report card. The team’s bullpen, even after losing Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly, has been a not-so-dim spot for the team, though. After scoreless innings by Brandon Workman and fireman Matt Barnes, all appeared to be well heading into last night’s ninth inning, with the Red Sox holding a 4-3 lead over the White Sox. Unfortunately, Ryan Brasier turned into a bit of a pumpkin as the clock neared midnight Thursday evening. After a runner reached base via an error with one out, Brasier allowed a single and then a three-run blast to earn his second blown save and first loss of the season.

Hierarchy remains: *Brasier | Barnes | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

April 30, 2019
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox were up by 5 going into the ninth, but Hector Velazquez allowed three runners to reach, creating a save situation for Matt Barnes, who shut the door for his second save of the year. Ryan Brasier remains the preferred option here, while Barnes is doing well in his fireman role.

Hierarchy remains: *Brasier | Barnes | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

April 21, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes was used in the eighth inning yesterday and that left Ryan Brasier for the ninth inning again.  Brasier converted the save chance and now has five saves in the Red Sox eight wins so far this season.

Hierarchy remains: *Brasier | Barnes | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

April 18, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Boston’s bullpen, till now the high point of a shockingly bad season, turned back into a pumpkin Wednesday night. Brandon Workman loaded the bases and Ryan Brasier gave up a grand slam, wasting a great start by Nathan Eovaldi.

Hierarchy remains: *Brasier | Barnes | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

April 13, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Boston turned to Matt Barnes to get the last out of the seventh inning — and he had to do it twice, striking out Hanser Alberto on a wild pitch, then striking out Jesus Sucre to achieve a robust 54 K/9 for the game. Boston added a couple runs, but Tyler Thornburg gave them back in the ninth, and the save was left for Ryan Brasier. Barnes and Brasier are splitting high-leverage work so far, but Brasier now has the last three saves, so we’ll move him up in this committee. Brandon Workman, who pitched a clean eighth inning last night, has a perfect ERA on the season, and has seen the late innings more frequently recently.

Updated hierarchy: *Brasier | Barnes | Workman.
* = closer-by-committee

April 8, 2019
Boston Red Sox – Protecting a 1-run lead, the Red Sox went to Matt Barnes for the 7th and 8th innings, followed by Ryan Brasier in the 9th. It was Brasier’s second save of the season, so we’re going to shift this to a committee, as it seems Barnes is functioning as the fireman thus far.

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Brasier | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

April 4, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Alex Cora used Matt Barnes to get Khris Davis with a man on in the seventh, and let Barnes pitch the eighth as well. The Red Sox took the lead in their half of the ninth, giving Ryan Brasier his first major-league save.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Brasier | Hembree.

March 30, 2019
Boston Red Sox — As predicted, the first Boston save chance went to Matt Barnes, who struck out two in a perfect inning. Despite the strong outing, Alex Cora is not yet ready to name Barnes the full-time closer. We see Ryan Brasier as next in line, but Brian Johnson — who struck out the side with the Sox down two in the eighth — has looked very good in his first two outings. With Cora looking to play matchups, Johnson may be a viable option when facing a lefty-heavy lineup.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Brasier | Hembree.

March 21, 2019
Boston Red Sox — Craig Kimbrel ain’t walkin’ through that door, so it looks more and more likely that the Red Sox will ride with Matt Barnes (and his newly untipped pitches) in the ninth.

Hierarchy remains: Barnes | Brasier | Hembree.

February 18, 2019
Boston Red Sox – The defending champions still haven’t named a closer, and according to Alex Cora they won’t do so until Opening Day. It’s becoming more and more unlikely that the Sox re-sign Craig Kimbrel, which means the competition this spring is projected to be wide open. Among the names vying for the job are Heath Hembree, Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, and dark horse candidate Tyler Thornburg. This will be a fluid situation throughout spring training, but for now, we think that Barnes, Brasier, and Hembree are the front-runners for the job.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Barnes | Brasier | Hembree.
Holds candidates: Brasier, Hembree, Steven Wright.

September 17, 2018
Boston Red Sox – With Craig Kimbrel having pitched in three of the past four, the Red Sox gave Sunday’s save chance to Steven Wright. Earlier, Wright had narrowly avoided time travel after microwaving some instant coffee, but it didn’t seem to affect his performance, as he floated his way through a hitless inning for his first career save.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Wright | Brasier.

September 16, 2018
Boston Red Sox — With the Red Sox protecting a two-run lead, they sent Steven Wright out for the 7th, Ryan Brasier for the 8th, and Craig Kimbrel for the 9th.  All three responded with scoreless innings with Kimbrel recording his 41st save of the season.  Joe Kelly has given up at least one run in half of his September appearances, while Ryan Brasier has a win and two holds in his past three outings.  The Red Sox would like to get Kelly pitching well going into the playoffs but for now, they might continue to turn to Brasier ahead of Kimbrel.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Brasier | Wright.

September 14, 2018
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox bullpen continued to be a mess behind Craig Kimbrel on Thursday. Clinging to a one-run lead, Joe Kelly coughed it up, allowing a walk, a single, and two hit batters. Out of 15 pitches, he threw just five strikes. When he’s going good, he can be a dominant setup man. When he’s not… well, he can be the team’s worst reliever. But there’s really no one ready yet to step into the eighth inning with Kelly struggling, at least until Matt Barnes comes back… perhaps next week after he throws off a mound? Don’t sleep on Steven Wright, who has been used a lot in high-leverage, late-game spots lately. Also, there’s Ryan Brasier, who may continue to get his late-inning cracks, too.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Wright.

September 13, 2018
Boston Red Sox – Protecting a 1-run lead in the 8th inning, the Red Sox went to knuckleballer Steven Wright, who allowed two baserunners but escaped without any damage. It was Wright’s first hold of the season, but he also bridged a 2-inning gap to Kimbrel in a tie game on Sunday, and he’s been lights out lately aside from one disastrous appearance. That’s good enough for a spot on the hierarchy.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Kelly | Wright.

September 8, 2018
Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes is dealing with a hip injury, and will be shut down for some time. Alex Cora did not offer a timetable for Barnes’ return, saying that they will “get him right.” Barnes had a rough August, posting a 9.64 ERA, and the hip injury may explain his struggles. He may be back as soon as Monday, but in the meantime Ryan Brasier (who blew a lead last night) and Heath Hembree are most likely to pick up the slack in the late innings for a faltering Sox bullpen.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

August 29, 2018
Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes has struggled mightily of late, allowing eight earned runs on 12 hits over his last nine appearances. Barnes said he feels fine physically and that he just needs to “crunch numbers” to solve his problems. While Barnes, Heath Hembree and Craig Kimbrel all faltered on Tuesday, Joe Kelly earned a seventh-inning hold and extended his scoreless streak to six games. At this point, Kelly seems more likely to get a save chance than Barnes, and if Barnes continues to struggle, he may be passed by Ryan Brasier as well. Brasier, who was unavailable last night, boasts a 0.90 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP and 18 strikeouts over 20 IP this year.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

July 28, 2018
Boston Red Sox – With a two-run lead in the 7th inning, the Red Sox turned to Ryan Brasier to face the bottom of the Minnesota lineup. He gave up a run but earned his second hold of the year. Conspicuously absent from the late innings was Joe Kelly, who has given up eight runs in his last four outings. While Alex Cora has spoken highly of Brasier recently, we think Heath Hembree (four holds in his past six appearances) will take the 7th inning role from Kelly, at least for now. However, Brasier is an exciting young arm, and he may be a fixture for the Red Sox for years to come.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Barnes | Hembree.

July 25, 2018
Boston Red Sox – Joe Kelly has been bad lately, allowing eight earned runs over his last four appearances. Both Kelly and manager Alex Cora know that the righty needs to get better, and that probably means fewer eighth-inning chances for the time being. Expect Matt Barnes to be the handcuff for Craig Kimbrel until Kelly returns to his early-season form.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Barnes | Kelly.

July 4, 2018
Boston Red Sox – Tyler Thornburg will be activated today, which means he will be in the majors for the first time in 2016. The righty was projected to be a big part of the Boston bullpen when the Red Sox acquired him prior to the 2017 season, but those expectations have since been tempered. Still, it will be interesting to see if Thornburg can pitch himself into the late-innings conversation. If he does, it will certainly be a big boost for the AL East leaders.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

May 14, 2018
Boston Red Sox – Craig Kimbrel was unavailable Sunday, having pitched in three of the past four days, so Joe Kelly closed out the win to earn his second save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

May 10, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Seeking to protect a narrow lead over the rival Yankees in the game and the division, Alex Cora called on Craig Kimbrel to do something he’d never done before: collect a five-out save. He failed. With a triple and a home run, the Yankees captured both leads, picking up their 17th win in 18 games.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

May 6, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts yesterday for his 300th career save.  Kimbrel became the fastest pitcher to reach 300 saves.  I guess he is pretty good.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

May 2, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Joe Kelly will return to the Boston bullpen today after serving his suspension. In other news, Tyler Thornburg will make his second rehab appearance with Triple-A Pawtucket today.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

April 27, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Major League Baseball has rejected Joe Kelly’s appeal, putting into effect his six-game suspension, which began Thursday night. Craig Kimbrel has been busy lately, so expect Matt Barnes and Carson Smith to help Kimbrel carry the load with Kelly out. Alex Cora also mentioned that lefty Brian Johnson and righty Hector Velazquez could get more high-leverage opportunities in Kelly’s absence.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

April 15, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Marcus Walden recorded a three-inning save in the Red Sox 10-3 victory yesterday.  If you had Walden in your fantasy lineup, be the first person to send us a screenshot (and possibly an explanation why) and you will win free Closer Monkey Premium for a year.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

April 13, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Reliever Joe Kelly received a six-game suspension for his role in Wednesday night’s brawl against the Yankees. Kelly, who drilled Tyler Austin before encouraging him to charge the mound, is appealing the ruling.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

April 12, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Yodeling aficionado turned cold-blooded enforcer Joe Kelly seems likely to face a suspension. Kelly drilled Tyler Austin in the ribs last night in retaliation for a questionable slide, sparking a benches-clearing scuffle that ended with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton guiding Kelly to the Red Sox dugout like Secret Service agents.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

April 2, 2018
Boston Red Sox – Two straight appearances for Craig Kimbrel on Friday and Saturday meant a day off Sunday, which allowed Joe Kelly to pick up his first save of the season. Kelly is the best handcuff to own at the moment; Matt Barnes and Carson Smith also figure to be in the mix on nights when Kimbrel isn’t available.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

March 31, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes pitched the eighth inning ahead of Craig Kimbrel in a 1-0 victory for Boston last night, his second scoreless inning in as many days. Meanwhile, Joe Kelly and Carson Smith combined to give up six runs in a single inning on Thursday. One bad outing doesn’t usually shake up a hierarchy, but we’ll be watching to see whom Alex Cora favors going forward.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Smith.

February 26, 2018
Boston Red Sox — Following a rocky first season in Boston, Craig Kimbrel turned in perhaps the best year of his career in 2017, finishing with 35 saves, a 1.43 ERA, a 0.68 WHIP, 126 strikeouts and career-best marks in K/BB (9.00) and WAR (3.5). He’s absolutely locked in as the Red Sox closer and remains one of the best in the game entering a contract year. Behind him, it’s a little more unsettled. Joe Kelly looks to be the setup man, with a few health-related question marks following him in Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg. Expect Matt Barnes and Heath Hembree to be in the mix for holds, too.

Starting 2018 hierarchy:  Kimbrel | Kelly | Smith.
Holds candidates: Kelly, Smith, Barnes.

September 21, 2017
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox are preparing for the playoffs by talking up their new $31 million middle reliever. Don’t be surprised to see David Price get a seventh, eighth, or ninth inning in the next week to prepare him for high-leverage relief work in October.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Reed | Price.

September 20, 2017
Boston Red Sox – While we did correctly predict a vulture save for the Red Sox, it was not Joe Kelly who got it. Instead, Matt Barnes closed out the 11th inning after Kelly, Addison Reed and Craig Kimbrel all pitched. Also of note is that Carson Smith got the ball in the seventh inning of a scoreless game, less than 24 hours after picking up an 11th-inning save of his own. While it’s still unlikely that he picks up a conventional save this year, Tuesday’s usage suggests the Sox are loosening the reins on Smith and that he may be in line for a hold or two down the stretch.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Reed | Kelly.

September 19, 2017
Boston Red Sox – After Doug Fister only managed to get six outs, the Red Sox emptied their bullpen amidst a slugfest against the Orioles. The game went to extras, and after the Sox took the lead in the 11th, Carson Smith earned his first save of the season. Smith was the 10th Boston pitcher of the game and is unlikely to get any additional save chances down the stretch.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Reed | Kelly.

September 15, 2017
Boston Red Sox — David Price was activated from the DL Thursday and will pitch out of the bullpen for the rest of the season. It remains to be seen how the lefty will be used, but ESPN’s Scott Lauber thinks it may be in the Andrew Miller mold. Price can only hope to follow in the footsteps of Hall-of-Fame starter-turned reliever Dennis Eckersley, who Price once called “the greatest pitcher who ever lived.”

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Reed | Kelly.

September 6, 2017
Boston Red Sox — Carson Smith was activated from the disabled list Tuesday and had one of the strangest debuts of the season on Wednesday morning. In his first appearance since May 14, 2016, Smith threw a scoreless 18th inning that included Josh Donaldson’s ejection after Smith’s very first pitch. Don’t expect Smith to make much of an impact in the late innings, as his velocity is not where it needs to be quite yet, but if you need a bridge to the 19th inning, Smith is most definitely your man.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Reed | Kelly.

September 2, 2017
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes was activated from the DL after spending the minimum amount of time there. He joins a crowded Boston bullpen, with Craig Kimbrel and Addison Reed locks in the last two innings. Expect Barnes to challenge for the seventh immediately, as Joe Kelly has struggled a bit after returning from the DL himself.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Reed | Kelly.

August 6, 2017
Boston Red Sox – Joe Kelly has been activated from the disabled list and will jump back into his late inning role.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Reed | Kelly.

August 4, 2017
Boston Red Sox – As the Red Sox are the team who discovered Andrew Miller, it should be of no surprise that they’re employing the Indians’ strategy now that they have a late-game ace of their own in Addison Reed. Reed tossed the seventh inning Thursday, facing the heart of the White Sox batting order. “Addison knows it’s going to be seventh inning or later,” manager John Farrell said after the game. Matt Barnes, meanwhile, pitched in the eighth inning, but don’t read into that too much. Reed should be in line for any saves not converted by Craig Kimbrel. Meanwhile, more arms are on the way back, as Joe Kelly will likely be activated this weekend, and Carson Smith, who hasn’t pitched since 2015, will begin a rehab assignment on Saturday.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Reed | Barnes.

July 31, 2017
Boston Red Sox – Addison Reed fills a big need for the Red Sox, who have struggled to bridge the gap to Craig Kimbrel on several occasions this year (including last night). Reed still retains a good deal of value in Holds leagues, as he’s likely to rack up 8th inning chances in Boston.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Reed | Barnes.

July 16, 2017
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox placed Joe Kelly on the disabled list with a sore hamstring.  Matt Barnes should handle set-up duties, and Heath Hembree should see more time in the seventh inning while Kelly is out.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Barnes | Hembree.

July 3, 2017
Boston Red Sox — Today in three-inning saves, we have Fernando Abad and his 63 MPH changeup. Maybe you could have been a major leaguer after all.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

June 24, 2017
Boston Red Sox — Joe Kelly pitched the eighth inning of a three-run game on Friday, and has seen the bulk of the highest-leverage spots ahead of Craig Kimbrel. No one is unseating Kimbrel, who is in the middle of a historic season, but Kelly has pitched well enough to earn the first crack when the closer cannot go.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

May 18, 2017
Boston Red Sox — The last reliever standing in the Boston bullpen when the thirteenth inning came around was 24-year-old rookie Ben Taylor. Taylor struck out two in the course of collecting his first major league save. We expect him to be the go-to guy for the Sox going forward whenever there are no other pitchers available.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Barnes | Kelly.

May 14, 2017
Boston Red Sox – Yesterday afternoon Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth inning ahead of closer Craig Kimbrel.  Kelly’s ratios are still not great (10 strikeouts to 9 walks), but with Heath Hembree struggling recently, Kelly should continue to see time in the later innings for the Red Sox.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Barnes | Kelly.

May 1, 2017
Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes is back, having completed his four-game suspension. Y’all better not even LOOK at Dustin Pedroia the wrong way.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Barnes | Hembree.

April 27, 2017
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes will be out of vulture save contention through Saturday; he dropped his appeal of a four-game suspension for throwing a 90 MPH fastball behind Manny Machado’s head.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Barnes | Hembree.

April 14, 2017
Boston Red Sox – Those in the Boston area have seen milk cartons with Joe Kelly’s mug on the side. Where is he? Manager John Farrell has made it clear he doesn’t trust Kelly in a high-leverage spot (Kelly last pitched earlier this week in a 12-5 loss), opting repeatedly for Heath Hembree in that 7th-inning role (and again on Thursday – 1.2 scoreless innings ahead of Matt Barnes and Craig Kimbrel). Kelly has the better stuff, but his upper-90s fastballs rarely get swings-and-misses, which is an issue for a late-inning reliever.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Barnes | Hembree.

April 7, 2017
Boston Red Sox – The Sox were rained out Thursday, so we never got a good look at what that back end of the bullpen might look like after closer Craig Kimbrel. A few things we do know: Matt Barnes will miss the next few games because his grandmother died, Robbie Ross Jr. has the flu, and Joe Kelly isn’t the setup man, yet. With Barnes out, it would be reasonable to think Kelly slides into that role for now, but watch for Heath Hembree to get a few looks later in games, too.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Barnes | Kelly.

April 4, 2017
Boston Red Sox – In a bit of a surprise, Joe Kelly didn’t see action in Boston’s opener, even though the situation seemed to call for him. The Sox won, but Boston writers are already nervous.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

March 30, 2017
Boston Red Sox – Tyler Thornburg is headed to the disabled list with a controversial shoulder injury. Joe Kelly will slide into the eighth, leaving some combination of Matt Barnes, Robbie Ross, Jr., and Heath Hembree to take the seventh.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Kelly | Barnes.

February 27, 2017
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox will once again lean on Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning, but the bridge to him will look a little different than last year. Power is the name of the game for the Sox with Koji Uehara and Brad Ziegler gone. Boston acquired Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers, and he will be the likely setup man despite an ugly spring debut. Converted starter Joe Kelly enters his first full season as a reliever and also can reach 100 on the radar gun. Robbie Ross, Jr., will be the first lefty out of the pen, and don’t forget about Carson Smith, due back sometime this summer following Tommy John surgery.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Kimbrel | Thornburg | Kelly.
Holds candidates: Thornburg, Kelly, Ross, Jr.

October 2, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Joe Kelly threw two perfect innings yesterday with four strikeouts.  Kelly has made eleven appearances out of the bullpen since getting recalled at the beginning of September, and he has only given up one earned run.  Koji Uehara and Brad Ziegler are both free agents after this year and if the Red Sox do not bring them back next season, Kelly could challenge Matt Barnes for the set-up role ahead of closer Craig Kimbrel.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Uehara | Ziegler.

September 29, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Boston clinched a division title when Toronto lost to Baltimore, but Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly couldn’t protect a three-run lead in the ninth, allowing the Yankees to remain barely alive in the wild card race. Kimbrel really struggled, yielding a line-drive single before sprinkling three walks around a wild pitch. John Farrell retains confidence in all three of his top relievers, and Kimbrel could be used in a more unorthodox, stopper-type role in the playoffs. But with the team’s playoff fate sealed, he might get some more rest.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Uehara | Ziegler.

September 24, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Brad Ziegler got a save opportunity for the surging Red Sox yesterday with both Craig Kimbrel and Koji Uehara unavailable. Uehara has not given up a run since returning from the DL, but hasn’t pitched on back-to-back days over that time either. With the Red Sox solidifying a playoff spot, we don’t expect to see anyone overworked in the season’s last week, so Ziegler may get another sneaky save opp.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Uehara | Ziegler. 

September 19, 2016
Boston Red Sox — After pitching back to back games, Craig Kimbrel was given Sunday off, and Koji Uehara got the save in his place. Uehara remains Kimbrel’s handcuff for the stretch run.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Uehara | Ziegler. 

September 17, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara pitched a clean eighth inning last night, his fifth straight scoreless appearance since returning from the DL. Over that time, Uehara has a 0.60 WHIP and has thrown 78% of his pitches for strikes. Koji seems to be returning to his eighth-inning role, and we’ll edge him in front of Brad Ziegler.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Uehara | Ziegler.

September 5, 2016
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox will bring Koji Uehara off the disabled list today, and given the team’s bullpen struggles, the righty could return to high-leverage work sooner rather than later. He won’t pitch until Tuesday, but we’ll swap him for Clay Buchholz, that day’s starter, now.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Uehara.

September 1, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Jonathan Papelbon evidently won’t be pitching for Boston or anyone else this season; his indecision stretched beyond the deadline for postseason eligibility. The Sox need some kind of bullpen help. Wednesday night, Fernando Abad and Junichi Tazawa combined to blow a lead before the offense bailed the team out again.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Buchholz.

August 31, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Prior to Tuesday’s game, John Farrell anointed Clay Buchholz as his eighth-inning guy, unless three righties are due up. In that case, Brad Ziegler – who was unavailable Tuesday with the flu – will get the call. Buchholz immediately got thrust into a high-leverage spot, but allowed a solo home run to break a 3-3 tie. It was his only blemish, and Buchholz is still a lot better than any other options in a beleaguered Sox ‘pen that is closer to getting some help in the form of Koji Uehara. When available, Ziegler should still get any save opportunities that don’t go to Craig Kimbrel, but expect Buchholz to protect more eighth-inning leads as the calendar turns to September.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Buchholz.

August 29, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes got the call in a very high-leverage spot for Boston, up two in the sixth, with one out and the bases loaded. It didn’t go well. Infield single, three-run triple, hit-by-pitch, fielder’s choice, single to left — the final word was three inherited runs allowed, plus five charged to his own account. Since the All-Star break, Barnes has an 8.62 ERA and 1.60 WHIP. As unlikely as it once seemed, Clay Buchholz could play a pivotal role as an eighth-inning reliever for Boston down the stretch.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Buchholz.

August 26, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Converted starter Clay Buchholz has been sent back to the bullpen after a pair of quality spot starts. Now that he’s pitching much better (2.37 ERA in 19 August innings), there has been chatter in Boston about the righty’s role in a not-so-great bullpen. Could he slide into a cushy role in the 7th or 8th innings?

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Barnes.

August 25, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Overrated reliever Jonathan Papelbon evidently has a standing offer to return to the Red Sox. If Papelbon wants a chance to help out the Rangers or Indians in the playoffs, he’ll have to sign with Boston by the end of this month.cl

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Barnes.

August 19, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Junichi Tazawa was charged with three runs to take the loss Thursday afternoon against the Tigers. Manager John Farrell went with Tazawa to begin the eighth inning of a 3-1 game, but the righty’s August struggles continued. Tazawa has allowed seven runs in his last four appearances (2.0 IP) to send his season ERA to 4.58 and WHIP to 1.30. Tazawa has had a tendency to fade a bit in the second half throughout his career, so it appears we have reached that stage. Farrell, though, still seems to trust Tazawa a bit. We don’t. P.S. – Where’s Jonathan Papelbon?

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Barnes.

August 18, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Just when you thought you were safe from the DL DC Strangler, the Red Sox look like they’re ready to bring him home. John Farrell evidently called him. David Ortiz wants to give him a hug. GM Mike Hazen was good for a backhanded compliment on the radio (“a little crazy goes a long way”). Although the Cubs are also in the mix, the Red Sox have the bigger need and valuable years of experience handling Papelbon’s, uh, quirks. If he does sign with Boston, Papelbon is likely to share the set-up role with Brad Ziegler.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Tazawa.

August 10, 2016
Boston Red Sox – Craig Kimbrel retired two of the first three batters he faced in the ninth, but four walks and one run allowed led John Farrell to pull him in favor of Matt Barnes, who struck out Mark Teixeira to record his first career save. Kimbrel did get a hold for his troubles, though he has just one save in three appearances since returning from the DL and claims his sore knee is not affecting his performance.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Tazawa.

August 5, 2016
Boston Red Sox – Brad Ziegler earned the vulture save for the Red Sox in an extra-innings victory over the Mariners Thursday night. Craig Kimbrel earned the win after getting the last out in the ninth and striking out the side in the 10th.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Tazawa.

August 2, 2016
Boston Red Sox – Fernando Abad is unlikely to be more than a situational lefty in the Red Sox pen in part because they’ve gotten some recent reinforcements in terms of late-inning relievers. Yesterday, it was Craig Kimbrel’s return from the DL — the hard-throwing righty picked up his 18th save, striking out three.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Tazawa.

July 22, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Converted starter Joe Kelly, currently at Triple-A Pawtucket, could help a beleaguered Red Sox bullpen without Carson Smith, Craig Kimbrel and Koji Uehara for an extended period of time. There’s no word on when Kelly will make it back with the big club, but reinforcements are returning, as Junichi Tazawa will be activated from the disabled list later today. Meanwhile, has anyone seen Clay Buchholz?

Updated hierarchy: Ziegler | Tazawa | Barnes.

July 21, 2016
Boston Red Sox — As expected, Brad Ziegler was named the Boston closer now that Koji Uehara has joined Craig Kimbrel on the disabled list. Although Matt Barnes and Robbie Ross, Jr. are backing Ziegler up in the late innings, Ross entered in the fourth on Wednesday night, while Barnes pitched the sixth, seventh, and eighth. Heath Hembree is another late-inning option, but if the Red Sox don’t want to release Clay Buchholz, Hembree will likely be demoted when Junichi Tazawa rejoins the team on Friday. Uehara tweeted (in Japanese) that he expects to be out for a month.

Hierarchy remains: Ziegler | Barnes | Ross.

July 20, 2016
Boston Red Sox – Koji Uehara will indeed need a DL stint following his pectoral injury, so the recently-acquired Brad Ziegler can expect to see the majority of save chances until Craig Kimbrel’s return.

Updated hierarchy: Ziegler | Barnes | Ross.

July 20, 2016
Boston Red Sox — The injury woes continued for the Boston bullpen on Tuesday as fill-in closer Koji Uehara left an eventual 4-0 win with a strained pectoral muscle. He will be reevaluated on Wednesday, but in the meantime Brad Ziegler will get the 9th if any save opportunities arise. Some good news for Boston is that Junichi Tazawa is expected to return from the DL before Friday night’s game.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Ziegler | Barnes.

July 16, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Craig Kimbrel had a successful knee surgery over the All-Star break, but he was joined officially on the DL by Junichi Tazawa (right shoulder impingement). Koji Uehara continued his perfect run as the leader of the patchwork Boston bullpen, pitching a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his fifth save. Kimbrel is expected to miss 3-6 weeks, while Tazawa will be eligible to return as early as July 19.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Ziegler | Barnes.

July 10, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning on Saturday for his 4th save of the season.  Manager John Farrell has named Uehara the closer while Kimbrel is out.  Newly acquired Brad Ziegler will see save chances only when Uehara is unavailable for now.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Ziegler | Barnes.

July 9, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Craig Kimbrel injured his knee in classic Mariano Rivera fashion on Friday, while shagging fly balls during batting practice. MRI results will come in on Saturday, but he’ll be out at least through the All-Star break. Junichi Tazawa was also unavailable with a shoulder injury, so Koji Uehara picked up his third save of the season. Early Saturday morning, the Red Sox acquired Brad Ziegler from Arizona; although such a move had been rumored, it could indicate that one or both of these injuries is serious. Expect Ziegler to step right into the late innings, especially with Kimbrel and Tazawa recovering from injury, and he may even get some save opportunities if Kimbrel is out for some time.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Uehara.

June 25, 2016
Boston Red Sox — As predicted in the Vulture Save Watch, Koji Uehara picked up a save after his counterparts on the Rangers failed to get the job done. Uehara pitched a clean 9th inning to pick up his 2nd save of the year.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Uehara | Tazawa.

May 30, 2016
Boston Red Sox – The Vulture Save Watch was right about this one, though — with Craig Kimbrel getting the afternoon off, Koji Uehara picked up his first save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Uehara | Tazawa.

May 25, 2016
Boston Red Sox — This is our third update on the Boston bullpen this season. All three have been about Carson Smith, who underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2016 season. We promise the fourth update on the Red Sox this season will not be about Carson Smith.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Uehara | Tazawa.

May 4, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Carson Smith made his Red Sox debut and performed well, striking out one and allowing zero hits on nine pitches. The same could not be said for Junichi Tazawa, who allowed two runs in a third of an inning. We’ll see how Smith is deployed with the Sox in the lead, especially since Tazawa had been pitching well for the Sox prior to last night, but he should see high-leverage spots sooner rather than later.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Uehara | Tazawa.

March 24, 2016
Boston Red Sox — Carson Smith will begin the season on the disabled list but the Sox avoided a long-term setback for the right-hander, who suffered an elbow injury. While Smith recovers, Junichi Tazawa will be the best option for John Farrell in the seventh inning.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Uehara | Tazawa.

February 29, 2016
Boston Red Sox — What a difference this offseason made for the dog’s breakfast of a Fenway bullpen. A November trade installed Craig Kimbrel in the closer role; although he led the league in saves each year between 2011 and 2014, he’s still only 27. Setting up Kimbrel will be the ageless Koji Uehara, back from his broken wrist and giving Sox opponents two very different looks in the late innings. The seventh inning should belong to Carson Smith and his crazy release point, with Junichi Tazawa and Robbie Ross, Jr. providing further depth. And don’t look now, but Carlos Marmol got a minor league deal from Boston, and there’s already talk that he might be back to his effective self again.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Kimbrel | Uehara | Smith.
Holds candidates: Uehara, Smith, Tazawa.

September 21, 2015
Boston Red Sox – Noe Ramirez picked up his second hold of the season on Sunday, pitching the 8th ahead of Robbie Ross. Consider him a candidate for another hold or two in the season’s final weeks. Ross, meanwhile, kicks his asterisk.

Updated hierarchy: Ross | Ramirez | Machi.

September 20, 2015
Boston Red Sox – Robbie Ross picked up his third save of the season yesterday.  Ross has now recorded all three of Boston’s save in the month of September and, despite allowing two runs in his most recent outing, he is close to shedding the committee label.

Hierarchy remains: *Ross | Machi | Ogando.
* = closer-by-committee

September 16, 2015
Boston Red Sox – Manager Torey Lovullo announced after Tuesday’s game that Junichi Tazawa will be shut down for the remainder of the season, not based on a injury but rather his workload. For now, Alexi Ogando will slide into the hierarchy, though for Boston’s sake anybody else will pitch with a lead.

Updated hierarchy: *Ross | Machi | Ogando.
* = closer-by-committee

September 14, 2015
Boston Red Sox – Amidst the back-and-forth and general ineffectiveness of the two pitchers jockeying for the Red Sox closer role the past month (Junichi Tazawa and Jean Machi), the best pitcher in the Boston bullpen was actually lefty Robbie Ross. Last week, Torey Lovullo indicated for the first time that he was considering using Ross in the closer role, and last night, Ross finally picked up his first save. He’s not dominant by any means, but he has a healthy K/BB ratio of 31/8 over his past 27 outings and has posted an ERA around 3 every month since June.

Hierarchy remains: *Ross | Tazawa | Machi.
* = closer-by-committee

September 9, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Jean Machi actually pitched well for the Sox on Tuesday, but it happened to be in the sixth inning of a 1-1 game. He induced a double play to get out of a jam, and in a bullpen in which, save for Junichi Tazawa in the 8th, there are “no set roles,” it seems logical that you would use any pitcher in any important spot, no matter the inning. Manager Torey Lovullo reiterated that he will “mix and match,” but Robbie Ross Jr. pitched a clean ninth at home to keep the game tied, and he may be the best pitcher right now in the Sox bullpen. We’ll put Ross at the top of the committee, with Machi right behind him. Next save chance is up for grabs.

Updated hierarchy: *Ross | Machi | Tazawa.
* = closer-by-committee

September 5, 2015
Boston Red Sox — After retiring the first two batters with a five-run lead in the ninth, Jean Machi decided to make things interesting. Single, homer, single, double: suddenly the lead was two and the Sox were stuck calling on lefty Robbie Ross, Jr., who struck out Ryan Howard on three pitches for his first career save. Whether Torey Lovullo sticks with Machi or not, you shouldn’t. The three saves he’ll earn this month (best-case) aren’t worth the eight runs he’ll give up.

Hierarchy remains: Machi | Tazawa | Ogando.

August 30, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Jean Machi successfully closed out the Mets last night, and going forward, he’ll be the team’s primary closer. Torey Lovullo said that Junichi Tazawa will slide back to the set-up role.

Updated hierarchy: Machi | Tazawa | Ogando.

August 30, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Jean Machi pitched a perfect ninth inning on Saturday to pick up his third save of the season.  Junichi Tazawa was unavailable after throwing thirty pitches on Friday.  Tazawa has really struggled lately so if Machi can string together a couple more strong outings, he could have a chance to over as the head of this committee.

Hierarchy remains: Tazawa | Machi | Ogando.
* = closer-by-committee

August 29, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Junichi Tazawa is not making things comfortable in Boston. Up three in the tenth, Tazawa gave up a single, induced a double play, then walked one guy after another after another after another. Craig Breslow (the last guy left in the bullpen) bailed him out and earned a save for his trouble. Because a trainer came out to examine Tazawa after the double play, many speculated that his back was bothering him, but after the game, he claimed that he simply lost his release point. Red Sox fans wish Torey Lovullo would lose his phone number. In August, Tazawa has a 9.31 ERA, 2.28 WHIP, and only 3 Ks in 10 appearances.

Hierarchy remains: Tazawa | Machi | Ogando.
* = closer-by-committee

August 25, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Jean Machi “earned” his second save of the year by nearly blowing a three run lead to the White Sox. Machi surrendered 2 runs on 3 hits in the 9th, sending his ERA to an astounding 6.75. Junichi Tazawa is still the Red Sox number one choice for saves, but he was unavailable after getting lit up in a 30 pitch outing on Sunday.

Hierarchy remains: Tazawa | Machi | Ogando.
* = closer-by-committee

August 24, 2015
Boston Red Sox – Junichi Tazawa had a horrific outing on Sunday afternoon, allowing seven baserunners and four earned runs in a blown save against the Royals. The biggest thing Tazawa has going for him right now is a lack of competition, but even so, he’s allowed 9 earned runs in his last 8 innings pitched, and isn’t striking out hitters at anywhere close to the rate he was earlier this season. The committee is very much alive in Boston.

Updated hierarchy: Tazawa | Machi | Ogando.
* = closer-by-committee

August 21, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Junichi Tazawa earned his second save in as many days on Thursday night and appears to be interim manager Torey Lovullo’s first choice in the ninth inning. Taz hasn’t had a great month (5 ER in 7 IP), but he’s definitely Boston’s best remaining bullpen arm, if only by default. Ryan Cook has been pitching like Taylor Swift, and has the 19.89 ERA to prove it. John Farrell may have considered him an alternate closer option, but it doesn’t seem like Lovullo does.

Updated hierarchy: *Tazawa | Machi | Ogando.

August 12, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Boston got its first post-Uehara save chance, and John Farrell went to Jean Machi for a shaky eighth, followed by Junichi Tazawa in the ninth. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Tazawa gave up two singles, a wild pitch, and a sac fly to blow the save. As you probably know, Tazawa’s numbers (2.69 FIP, 48 K in 49 IP) are far superior to Machi’s (4.36 FIP, 3.86 BB/9), so we’re going to cross our fingers and hope that tonight might be a sign that he’ll get a majority of chances in this committee. Meanwhile, even though the recently promoted Ryan Cook was used in the sixth on Tuesday night, Farrell mentioned him as a third closer option down the stretch. With options like these, your only winning move is not to play.

Updated hierarchy: *Tazawa | Machi | Cook.

August 11, 2015
Boston Red Sox — While initial x-rays were negative on Koji Uehara’s injured right wrist, a follow-up CT scan revealed that the 40 year-old Red Sox closer had suffered a non-displaced fracture and has been declared out for the rest of the season. Uehara was struck on the wrist by an Ian Kinsler line drive on Friday night.

Hierarchy remains: *Machi | Tazawa | Ross.

August 10, 2015
Boston Red Sox — As we feared initially, Koji Uehara is headed to the disabled list with his right wrist injury. Expect Jean Machi and Junichi Tazawa to pick up the save chances in his absence.

EDIT: Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe expects Machi to be the team’s primary closer, perhaps due to front office concerns about overusing Tazawa in what has become a lost season.

Updated hierarchy: *Machi | Tazawa | Ross.

August 9, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Junichi Tazawa entered the game in the 7th inning last night with the Red Sox up one, but was unable to hold on to the lead.  He gave up a two-run homer to Victor Martinez and recorded a blown save for the third straight outing.  Jean Machi has been mentioned as a possible closer while Uehara is unavailable and with Tazawa’s struggles, he looks to be first in line for saves.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Machi | Tazawa.

August 8, 2015
Boston Red Sox — As we told you last night, Koji Uehara took a line drive off his right arm at the end of Friday’s game and appeared to be in serious pain. Postgame X-rays, however, showed no break, and Uehara was half-jokingly promising to be back by Sunday, as he explained that he considered his “whole body to be the glove.” Consider Koji day-to-day at this point, with Junichi Tazawa sliding into the closer role until Uehara can pitch again.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Tazawa | Ross.

August 7, 2015
Boston Red Sox — On the last pitch of the night, Koji Uehara was drilled in the right arm by a line drive and was walked off the field by a trainer. He still converted the save, as he was able to make the play at first, but given how much pain he was in, he’s likely to miss some time, meaning Junichi Tazawa will likely handle the closer role until Uehara is healthy again.

UPDATE: Uehara reportedly does not have a broken bone. Continue to check back for updates.

Updated hierarchy: Tazawa | Ross | Ogando.

August 2, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Jean Machi recorded his first save of the season last night.  He got the last out of the 8th with the Red Sox up 3 and then stayed on for the 9th after they added two more in the bottom of the 8th.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Tazawa | Ogando.

July 24, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Losers of seven straight since the All-Star Break after Thursday’s 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Astros, the last-place Red Sox would appear to be in sell mode. The selling could start this coming week, and could even include closer Koji Uehara. The Boston Globe is reporting teams have inquired about Uehara, and the Red Sox could receive a significant haul if they’re willing to deal him. Signed to a relatively reasonable 2-year, $18 million deal that expires after 2016, Uehara, 40, has been one of the lone bright spots for Boston, with 22 saves, a 2.67 ERA and a nasty 0.89 WHIP. Junichi Tazawa would likely get the first crack at closing if Uehara is dealt.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Tazawa | Ogando.

June 15, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes was sent back to the minors to work on his stuff; Alexi Ogando will see more hold opportunities as a result. Barnes will be joined in AAA by the possible closer of the future for the Red Sox, Pat Light, who has shot through the minors after being converted to a reliever this year.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Tazawa | Ogando.

June 13, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes and Junichi Tazawa had a Friday evening to forget. The Red Sox were up four runs when Barnes began the seventh. He gave up three straight hits, Tazawa yielded four hits and a baserunner via error, and Tommy Layne finished up by surrendering a home run, giving Toronto a seventh-inning cycle and nine straight runs scored. It’s unlikely that this debacle will change Boston’s late-innings approach, but we couldn’t let it pass without comment.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Tazawa | Barnes.

June 10, 2015
Boston Red Sox – Manager John Farrell reportedly had a long closed-door meeting with closer Koji Uehara before Tuesday’s game. Afterward, Farrell insisted that it was only a checkup after Uehara pitched in three straight games, but the timing is curious since the pitcher is a couple days removed from the heavy workload. Uehara has been as effective as ever this year, and even after his disaster outing on June 4, Koji got the ball for two straight save opportunities. This was probably nothing, but it may be worth keeping an eye on Junichi Tazawa, who has quietly put up six straight scoreless appearances, and has a 1.40 ERA on the season.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Tazawa | Barnes.

June 5, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Pitching in a tie game in the ninth against the Twins Thursday, closer Koji Uehara struggled, throwing 22 pitches without getting a single man out. Uehara was charged with four runs (two earned) and took the loss. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval had a costly error with runners on first and second and nobody out, leading to the big rally. Uehara has taken two losses this week, both due in part to Sandoval errors. The 40-year-old’s confidence may be shaken a bit, but he’s been rock solid all year (10 K/9, 1.00 WHIP) and remains firmly entrenched as the Sox closer.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Tazawa | Barnes.

May 15, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Rookie Matt Barnes was thrown into a high-leverage situation Thursday night against the Mariners, pitching the eighth inning in a 1-1 game. He picked up the win after Fernando Rodney gave up the go-ahead run, and should continue to see late-inning opportunities moving forward.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Tazawa | Barnes.

May 8, 2015
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox were off Thursday, but made two significant moves in designating former setup man Edward Mujica for assignment and firing pitching coach Juan Nieves. Mujica’s departure likely means the call-up of prospect Matt Barnes, who may begin in the Boston bullpen. Barnes throws hard, which is more than you can say about most of the Red Sox pitching staff. He could enter the late-innings mix in the coming weeks.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Tazawa | Ogando.

April 29, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Not only was Edward Mujica awful on Tuesday, but he was awful in the fourth inning. He balked twice and allowed three runs. Even though Junichi Tazawa has now allowed a home run in each of his last two appearances, he’s been the only decent option out of the Sox ‘pen in front of Uehara this season. Mujica may be designated for assignment thanks to zero saves, zero holds and a 6.30 ERA.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Tazawa | Ogando.

April 18, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Junichi Tazawa, who has yet to give up a run this season, has gained the edge over Alexi Ogando in the Boston bullpen.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

April 13, 2015
Boston Red Sox – Koji Uehara will come off the disabled list today and will resume closing immediately.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Mujica | Ogando.

April 10, 2015
Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox haven’t had a save situation yet, but fans and owners pining for the return of Koji Uehara may not have to wait much longer. Uehara has a scheduled relief outing for Single-A Greenville on Friday, and manager John Farrell said the team isn’t ruling out a possible return to the big club after just the one rehab outing. Because Uehara’s hamstring injury “wasn’t arm-related,” as Farrell put it, we’re pretty comfortable with the expectation that Uehara will be back for the team’s home opener on Monday. As a side note, current closer Edward Mujica got some work in during the 9th inning of the team’s 6-2 win over the Phillies Thursday night.

Hierarchy remains: Mujica | Ogando | Tazawa.

April 8, 2015
Boston Red Sox – Good news for Koji Uehara owners: manager John Farrell says that he may return early next week. Fenway Park already has Sandstorm cued up.

Hierarchy remains: Mujica | Ogando | Tazawa.

March 29, 2015
Boston Red Sox — It looks like closer Koji Uehara will not be ready to close at the beginning of the season for the Red Sox.  Manager John Farrell has said that Edward Mujica will close if Uehara is unavailable.

Updated hierarchy: Mujica | Ogando | Tazawa.

March 26, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara, who turns 40 next week, might miss Opening Day with a hamstring strain. Edward Mujica would likely take the closer’s role until Uehara can get healthy, with Alexi Ogando moving ahead of Junichi Tazawa as a backup option.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Mujica | Ogando.

March 6, 2015
Boston Red Sox — Despite heading towards 40, Koji Uehara got a two-year, $18 million deal from the Sox to remain their closer. Behind the seemingly ageless Uehara are Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica, who will compete for the eighth inning. Mujica got most of the save opportunities at the end of the season when the Sox shut Uehara down, and has more closing experience than Tazawa. 2011 draftee Matt Barnes might be relevant this year if Boston chooses to move him to the bullpen, and Alexi Ogando is also around.

Starting 2015 hierarchy: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.
Holds candidates: Tazawa, Craig Breslow.

October 30, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Boston gave Koji Uehara a huge raise after the World Series, committing to their All-Star closer with a two-year, $18 million contract that will take him through his age-41 season.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

September 13, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Edward Mujica recorded another save on Friday night.  Meanwhile, Koji Uehara returned to throw a 1-2-3 8th inning.  It was Uehara’s first cleaning inning in almost a month.  Uehara will likely need a few more outings like that before he sees some save chances so Mujica should remain the closer for now.

Updated hierarchy: Mujica | Uehara | Tazawa.

September 5, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Edward Mujica will now close for the Red Sox, with Koji Uehara taking a few days off, then returning to a non-closing role to work through his struggles. If all goes well, Uehara will apparently close again by the end of the month.

Updated hierarchy: Mujica | Tazawa | Uehara.

September 5, 2014
Boston Red Sox – After Koji Uehara’s latest meltdown — two solo HRs in three batters, resulting in a blown save and loss — the voices advocating for his shutdown are getting louder. One of those voices belongs to John Farrell, who had some ominous things to say about Uehara after the game. Nothing has been made official yet, and we will monitor the situation as it develops, but those desperate for a few down-the-stretch saves should look to Edward Mujica.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

September 2, 2014
Boston Red Sox — While Koji Uehara hasn’t officially been shut down for the season, manager John Farrell has confirmed that Uehara’s usage will be reduced. Edward Mujica will close when Uehara is held out, while Uehara will pitch only in save situations and not in tie games. In addition, Junichi Tazawa will also see his usage cut back, though he should still be expected to get a save chance if both Uehara and Mujica are unavailable.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

August 26, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara entered the ninth with a 3-0 lead and a bases loaded jam from which to escape, but exited having blown his fourth save of the year. After the Sox regained the lead in the 10th, Craig Breslow came on for his first save of the season. Following the game, manager John Farrell was asked about the possibility of shutting Koji down. He said they haven’t considered it yet, but that may change as the Sox enter September in last place.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

August 23, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara had the worst relief outing of his career last night.  He gave up 5 runs, all with two outs, and blew his third save of the season.  Uehara has given up at least one run in three straight appearances, after giving up zero runs in his previous thirteen outings.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

August 14, 2014
Boston Red Sox — As foretold in Wednesday’s Vulture Save Watch, it was again Edward Mujica who got the save opportunity with Koji Uehara unavailable. Mujica gave up two singles to start the inning, but escaped with the help of a strikeout on a foul bunt.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

July 28, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara struck out the side for his 21st save on Sunday in his first chance since July 19. Given the Sox’ recent struggles over their seven-game road trip this past week, it’s still extremely likely that Uehara is traded. Meanwhile, the Sox acquired 25-year-old Heath Hembree from San Francisco on Saturday as part of a deal for Jake Peavy. Hembree was the closer for Triple-A Fresno and could play a role down the road in Boston.

Hierarchy remains: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

July 15, 2014
Boston Red Sox – The defending champs are in last place, but only 9.5 games back in a not-so-hot division. That said, there’s a very strong chance that the Sox trade aging closer Koji Uehara to a contender. If that’s the case, we expect the embattled Edward Mujica to get the first crack at save opportunities. If not Mujica, Junichi Tazawa and Andrew Miller (if he’s also not traded) are next in line for John Farrell. TRADE DEADLINE BUY+ Edward Mujica; BUY Junichi Tazawa, Andrew Miller

July 10, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Trade rumors are heating up around Koji Uehara, raising the question of who would be next in line to replace him. John Farrell has mentioned that he likes to use Edward Mujica in the role with Uehara unavailable, Mujica’s 5.61 ERA and 1.49 WHIP notwithstanding. Farrell might be better served considering Junichi Tazawa or Andrew Miller — although lefty Miller could be leaving Boston soon himself.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Mujica | Tazawa.

June 18, 2014
Boston Red Sox — With Koji Uehara and Andrew Miller unavailable after heavy recent use, John Farrell elected to keep Junichi Tazawa in a set-up role and go to Edward Mujica, who hadn’t pitched in six days, for the vulture save. After the game, Farrell explained that he would ideally like to go to Mujica on nights when Uehara is unavailable, so although recent usage and statistics don’t support it, we’ve got to put Mujica back in the hierarchy. In non-hierarchy news, Burke Badenhop has now pitched 30.1 straight innings without surrendering an earned run.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Miller | Mujica.

May 9, 2014
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox were idle on Thursday, but with set-up man Junichi Tazawa struggling, they’re talking about an increased role for hard-throwing lefty Andrew Miller. Miller, once a megaprospect with the Tigers, had a great 2013 in relief for Boston and has been even better this year, posting a 1.84 ERA thus far with 20 strikeouts in just 14.2 innings. Until Tazawa figures stuff out, it sounds as if John Farrell will start using Miller as his 8th inning guy, and possibly as a fill-in closer when Koji Uehara needs a night off.

Hierarchy change: Uehara | Miller | Tazawa.

May 7, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Edward Mujica’s right oblique felt fine after a Tuesday bullpen session, and he’s likely to avoid the disabled list. No hierarchy change.

April 29, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Edward Mujica has allowed at least one run each of the last five times he’s faced more than one batter, but John Farrell isn’t worried by his 10.00 ERA, or even the nearly sixfold increase in his walk rate. Farrell believes Mujica is struggling with his command due to infrequent use, suggesting that his role won’t be reduced — but we can’t imagine that he’d retain the advantage over Junichi Tazawa if Koji Uehara goes down with another injury. Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to Set-Up, Edward Mujica to 2nd in line.

April 17, 2014
Boston Red Sox — After Wednesday’s extra-inning slog against the White Sox, today’s expected return of Koji Uehara should be huge for Boston. Burke Badenhop was the last man standing to pick up the save in the 14th. No hierarchy change.

April 13, 2014
Boston Red Sox – Koji Uehara was unavailable yesterday but could attempt long toss today before the Red Sox decide if he needs to go back to Boston for further tests.  Edward Mujica will be the closer while Uehara is out.   No hierarchy change.

April 12, 2014
Boston Red Sox – Edward Mujica pitched a perfect ninth inning last night to pick up his first save of the season. Closer Koji Uehara was unavailable with shoulder tightness. The Red Sox are saying the injury is not serious but Uehara said he experienced similar tightness in Texas a couple years ago and it took him two months to get over it. Junichi Tazawa has pitched better this season but manager John Farrell likes that Mujica has had success as a closer before so he might be the first option to close if Uehara misses more time. Hierarchy change: Edward Mujica to Set-up, Junichi Tazawa to 2nd in line.

April 8, 2014
Boston Red Sox – Left-hander Chris Capuano got the call in the 8th inning of a 2-1 game with two of the three Rangers due up that inning batting from the left side. The move paid off, as he allowed just one hit and escaped the inning unscathed. Capuano has been solid in his four innings of work this year, not allowing a run and striking out five, but for the moment is still behind Edward Mujica and Junichi Tazawa.  No Hierarchy change.

April 5, 2014
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox brought in Edward Mujica yesterday with the game tied in the 9th inning.  Mujica ended up taking the loss after giving up 4 runs.  Manager John Farrell has said that Junichi Tazawa and Mujica are “interchangeable”  but Tazawa has been used more often in the 8th so far and has pitched better.  Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to Set-up, Edward Mujica to 2nd in line.

April 3, 2014
Boston Red Sox – Junichi Tazawa pitched the 8th inning on Wednesday night and has been mentioned alongside Edward Mujica as a possible fill-in at closer should Koji Uehara ever go down.  We’re big Craig Breslow fans, but he seems destined to be stuck in middle relief this year in Boston.  Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to 2nd in line, replacing Craig Breslow. 

March 13, 2014
Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara has been very good ever since he entered the league in 2009, but his performance in 2013 was nothing short of shocking. He should have more save opportunities this year, and he remains an elite option, to be sure — but keep in mind that he turns 39 this April, and that he started in Japan for eight years, averaging 175 innings a year. Ranked #6 in our preseason closer rankings.

March 11, 2014
Boston Red Sox – The World Series champs appeared destined for another mess in the bullpen last year until Koji Uehara came in and righted the ship en route to a spectacular season. He’ll start 2014 as the Sox closer, but time will tell if he can maintain the numbers he boasted last year. Waiting in the wings will be former Cardinals closer Edward Mujica, whom the Sox signed in December. He’ll likely begin the year as the primary eighth-inning guy, with reliable lefty Craig Breslow and Junichi Tazawa as seventh-inning options. Starting 2014 hierarchy: Closer – Koji Uehara, Set-up – Edward Mujica, 2nd in line – Craig Breslow.

September 14, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Although it wasn’t a save opportunity on Friday night, the Red Sox used Koji Uehara in the 9th.  All Uehara did was pitch another perfect inning, and he has now gotten out the last 37 batters he has faced.  The MLB record for most consecutive perfect innings is 15.0 and now Uehara is three perfect innings away from breaking that record.  No hierarchy change.

September 6, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Junichi Tazawa had a terrible outing on Thursday, allowing two inherited runners to score and then giving up two more runs of his own.  Craig Breslow, meanwhile, logged two spotless innings and picked up the win.  Breslow had basically been splitting the 8th inning role with Tazawa — the lefty got the 8th inning hold on Monday — and after last night, he stands to get a larger share of the big late-game innings.  Hierarchy change: Craig Breslow to Set-up, Junichi Tazawa to 2nd in line.

July 20, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Andrew Bailey has been placed on the DL and will likely miss the rest of the season.  Craig Breslow pitched the 8th inning last night to pick up his 8th hold of the season and should continue to see more time in the late innings for the Red Sox.  Hierarchy change: Craig Breslow to 2nd in line replacing Andrew Bailey.

July 17, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Boston might not be satisfied with adding Matt Thornton; there’s still a chance that they acquire Bobby Parnell, Jonathan Papelbon, Addison Reed, or Francisco Rodriguez, any of whom would significantly erode Koji Uehara’s fantasy value. TRADE DEADLINE BUY/SELL: SELL Koji Uehara.

July 7, 2013
Boston Red Sox –  Andrew Bailey got the last 2 outs of the 7th inning last night and then stayed on to pitch a scoreless 8th.  Bailey has back to back scoreless outings, recording 2 strikeouts in each appearance.  Hierarchy change: Andrew Bailey to 2nd in line, replacing Andrew Miller.

June 21, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Koji Uehara revealed before Friday’s game that it would be he, and not Junichi Tazawa, that will get to close while Andrew Bailey regains his footing.  Hierarchy change: Koji Uehara to Closer, Junichi Tazawa to Set-up.

June 20, 2013
Boston Red Sox — After yet another blown save by Andrew Bailey, John Farrell finally announced that he was ready to try another option at closer. Although Farrell says that they will discuss the identity of the replacement “internally,” we again believe that the Sox will turn to Junichi Tazawa, while keeping 38-year-old Koji Uehara — whose workload Farrell has limited — in a setup role. Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to Closer, Koji Uehara to Set-Up, Andrew Miller to 2nd in line.

June 19, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Felix Doubront pitched beautifully through eight innings (including retiring the last 17 men in a row), and John Farrell brought in Andrew Bailey for the ninth. Two pitches later, the game was tied, courtesy of the third home run allowed by Bailey in four games. A Jonny Gomes walk-off in the bottom of the ninth eased the pain, but after the game, Farrell admitted that Bailey is on thin ice: “He’s our closer, but there’s work to do.” Andrew Bailey to Hot Seat.

May 21, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Andrew Bailey was reactivated in time for Monday’s loss to the White Sox. Although he will return to the closer’s seat immediately, John Farrell is likely to limit his workload, at least initially. Hierarchy change: Andrew Bailey to Closer, Junichi Tazawa to Set-up, Koji Uehara to 2nd in line.

May 18, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara picked up the save on Friday night.  Junichi Tazawa pitched 2 innings while getting the win on Thursday night so it appears John Farrell wanted to give him a day off last night.  Andrew Bailey is expected to come back on Monday and Farrell has already said that he will return to the closer role.  No hierarchy change.

May 12, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Joel Hanrahan will have surgery and miss the rest of the season.  Fill in closer Junichi Tazawa came on for the 9th in a tie game last night and took the loss after giving up a go-ahead homerun to Adam Lind. Tazawa has given up 4 runs in his last 4.2 innings. The Red Sox could choose to go with Uehara while Bailey is out if Tazawa continues to struggle.  Junichi Tazawa to Hot Seat.

May 8, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Joel Hanrahan was officially placed on the DL with a forearm strain, and it will indeed be Junichi Tazawa closing in his stead — at least for now. In a rare piece of good news, Andrew Bailey’s MRI was clean, and he will be eligible again on May 13. Craig Breslow had a rough night on Tuesday, but John Farrell has spoken highly of him, and frankly, there aren’t a ton of other options right now. No hierarchy change.

May 7, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Joel Hanrahan’s ignoble return to the Boston bullpen lasted for precisely four batters, one of whom tapped him for a game-tying home run. To add injury to insult (and injury), Hanrahan left shortly thereafter with “right forearm tightness.” We believe Junichi Tazawa has a slight edge over Koji Uehara, but either or both could be used in the closer role. Although Craig Breslow (fresh from his own DL stint) is now the third-best healthy reliever in the Red Sox pen, Daniel Bard or Alfredo Aceves could also conceivably join what has become a disturbingly threadbare crew. Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to Closer, Koji Uehara to Set-up, Craig Breslow to 2nd in line.

May 6, 2013
Boston Red Sox – After undergoing an MRI today, Andrew Bailey has been placed on the disabled list with a sore biceps.  Joel Hanrahan will close in his stead.  Hierarchy change: Joel Hanrahan to Closer, Koji Uehara to Set-up, Junichi Tazawa to 2nd in line.

May 2, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Joel Hanrahan came on for the save instead of Andrew Bailey yesterday. After the game, John Farrell said that Bailey was dealing with “biceps soreness” and said he hoped the injury would not keep him out for long. Hanrahan has pitched horribly to start the year, so it is unlikely he would take over the closer role unless the injury to Bailey would keep him out long term.  No hierarchy change.

May 1, 2013
Boston Red Sox — Joel Hanrahan’s return from the DL today came with a clear statement of boundaries from manager John Ferrell: Andrew Bailey will remain the team’s closer for the foreseeable future. Although Hanrahan might pitch some lower-leverage innings to begin with, he will be certainly be the choice in the 9th if the oft-injured Bailey goes down again. Hierarchy change: Joel Hanrahan to Set-Up, Koji Uehara to 2nd in line.

April 18, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Junichi Tazawa pitched two sterling innings last night, striking out 4 in the process, as he bridged the gap between starter and 8th inning man Koji Uehara.  Tazawa has allowed only 1 run in 8 innings this season, and has a K/BB ratio of 8/0 thus far.  Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to 2nd in line, replacing Andrew Miller.

April 16, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Joel Hanrahan is being placed on the DL with hamstring soreness.  Andrew Bailey will close in his absence.  Hierarchy change: Andrew Bailey to Closer, Koji Uehara to Set-up, Andrew Miller to 2nd in line, Joel Hanrahan to DL.

April 16, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Andrew Bailey got a save opportunity in Joel Hanrahan’s absence, giving up a few hits to tie the game before settling down and earning the win in the comeback.  No hierarchy change.

April 14, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Joel Hanrahan has not been pitching well to start the season.  He came on in the 9th yesterday with the score tied and walked the first two batters before being replaced by Uehara.  Managaer John Farrell said after the game that Hanrahan will remain the closer, but that could change quickly.  Andrew Bailey has been pitching extremely well in the 8th inning and could easily slide into the closers role if Hanrahan does not turn it around.  Joel Hanrahan to Hot Seat.

February 24, 2013
Boston Red Sox – Starting 2013 hierarchy: Closer- Joel Hanrahan, Set-up- Andrew Bailey, 2nd in line- Koji Uehara.

September 23, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Junichi Tazawa pitched the 9th inning in a tie game on Saturday. He’s been the most reliable Boston reliever over the last few weeks, including Andrew Bailey, and has earned the trust of Bobby Valentine. Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to Set-up, Vicente Padilla to 2nd in line.

September 15, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Up by a run in the 7th inning, the Red Sox turned to Junichi Tazawa, who pitched a scoreless inning. Tazawa, who has a 1.47 ERA on the year, is earning the trust of Bobby Valentine and is being used in tight, late-game situations more frequently. Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to 2nd in line, replacing Alfredo Aceves.

September 2, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Alfredo Aceves was used for 3 innings of mop-up duty last night, and seems to have fallen farther on Bobby Valentine’s depth chart. While the Red Sox bullpen is volatile, Aceves has been relegated to a less important role. Hierarchy change: Vicente Padilla to Set-up, Alfredo Aceves to 2nd in line.

August 30, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Alfredo Aceves returns from a team-imposed suspension on Tuesday. While Bobby Valentine said on Monday that he wasn’t sure what role the righty would assume upon returning, Aceves’s usage yesterday suggests he’s definitely no longer the team’s closer. With the Red Sox down by 7, Aceves was summoned for two innings of mop-up relief. He’d still likely assume the closer role again if Andrew Bailey struggles, but he’s no longer the man in Boston. Hierarchy change: Alfredo Aceves to Set-up, Vicente Padilla to 2nd in line.

August 27, 2012
Boston Red Sox – With both Andrew Bailey and Vicente Padilla unavailable, the Red Sox went to Mark Melancon in the 9th inning on Sunday. Craig Breslow has been pitching better than anyone else in the Boston bullpen lately, but the Red Sox appear to prefer Melancon’s experience in the closer role. While there won’t be many nights where both Bailey and Padilla (and the suspended Alfredo Aceves) are unavailable, Melancon could see more late-inning work going forward. Hierarchy change: Mark Melancon to 2nd in line, replacing Craig Breslow.

August 25, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Alfredo Aceves has been suspended for three games for conduct detrimental to the team. At the moment, it is unclear whether he was suspended for his expletive-laden media comment after his last blown save, or due to an explosive meeting he had with Bobby Valentine after being bypassed for the save yesterday. Either way, this might be it for the mercurial righty, as Bailey, barring any slip-ups, should take the job and run with it from here. Hierarchy change: Andrew Bailey to Closer, Vicente Padilla to Set-up, Craig Breslow to 2nd in line, Alfredo Aceves suspended.

August 25, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Andrew Bailey picked up his first save of the season on Friday, throwing a clean 9th inning. He’s definitely on track to win the closer job soon, but he’s not officially the man yet. “I wish he had a little more [appearances] so I could make that determination,” Bobby Valentine told mlb.com. Alfredo Aceves has blown three of his last five save chances, and remains on a blazing Hot Seat, but the job is still his for the time being. No hierarchy change.

August 24, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Alfredo Aceves had one of his worst outings of the season yesterday, surrendering 5 runs in one inning. He now has a 4.60 ERA, and with Andrew Bailey looming, another blown save or two could cost him his job. Alfredo Aceves to Hot Seat.

August 16, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Before Vicente Padilla hit the DL, Andrew Miller was often the man who was summoned just ahead of him, as Bobby Valentine counted on the hard-throwing lefty to get key outs late in the game. But oddly, that’s changed over the past week, as Miller’s last three appearances have seen him pitch in the 6th inning or earlier. Andrew Bailey has thrown only 13 pitches in the big leagues so far this year, but given Miller’s recent usage, the righty would probably be thrust right into the closer role if Alfredo Aceves was unavailable. Hierarchy change: Andrew Bailey to Set-up, Andrew Miller to 2nd in line.

August 15, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Andrew Bailey returned from the disabled list on Tuesday, striking out one of the two hitters he faced. Bailey had solid minor league numbers in his rehab appearances, and if he pitches well, he should rise quickly in the Red Sox bullpen. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him closing by the end of the year. Hierarchy change: Andrew Bailey to 2nd in line, replacing Mark Melancon.

August 9, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Vicente Padilla hit the DL this week, making hard-throwing lefty Andrew Miller the best option for saves on nights when Alfredo Aceves is unavailable. Mark Melancon, who has a 4.09 ERA since returning the majors in June, is the only active Red Sox reliever to have earned a hold this week, and he moves up as well. Hierarchy change: Andrew Miller to Set-up, Mark Melancon to 2nd in line, Vicente Padilla to DL.

August 1, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Franklin Morales got a 1-out save in the 6th inning on Tuesday, retiring a hitter before the tarp came out. The game was never resumed, and Morales was awarded one of the more bogus saves of the season. No hierarchy change.

July 23, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Mark Melancon got shelled yesterday, and has looked shaky recently after a great return from the minor leagues. Hard thrower Andrew Miller has been the much more consistent reliever lately, and now sports a 2.74 ERA. Hierarchy change: Andrew Miller to 2nd in line, replacing Mark Melancon.

July 16, 2012
Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox placed Scott Atchison on the DL on Sunday. After finishing the 7th and 8th innings on Sunday, Mark Melancon has given up just 1 run in 13.2 innings since returning from the minors. He has struck out 12 and walked only 2 in that span, and moves up in Atchison’s absence. Hierarchy change: Mark Melancon to 2nd in line, replacing Scott Atchison.

July 13, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Alfredo Aceves and Vicente Padilla are both playing out 1-year contracts, but it’s unlikely the Red Sox will be selling at the deadline– despite being tied for last place in the AL East, they’re still well within range of a Wild Card spot. Despite some early struggles, Aceves and Padilla have been solid at the back end of the Sox rotation, and an acquisition is unlikely to affect the immediate hierarchy. Daniel Bard, returned to a relief role, could potentially shake things up if they struggle, however. TRADE DEADLINE BUY/SELL: None.

June 17, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Toiling in what’s generally been a mop-up role for much of the season, Scott Atchison has been nothing short of brilliant, pitching 35.1 innings– the most of anyone in the Red Sox bullpen– and compiling a 1.27 ERA in the process. On Saturday, he earned his third hold of the season, finishing off the 7th inning, and it appears the Red Sox are finally ready to start using him in meaningful spots. Hierarchy change: Scott Atchison to 2nd in line, replacing Andrew Miller.

June 1, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Franklin Morales pitched with the Sox trailing on Thursday, surrendering a run. After pitching some key innings for Boston early in the season, he’s fallen out of favor with Bobby Valentine. Andrew Miller (2.38 ERA) was summoned for the 8th ahead of Alfredo Aceves on Wednesday and has pitched well of late. Hierarchy change: Andrew Miller to 2nd in line, replacing Franklin Morales.

May 18, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Vicente Padilla has three holds this week, and has pitched just ahead of Alfredo Aceves in all three games. Hierarchy change: Vicente Padilla to Set-up, Franklin Morales to 2nd in line.

May 13, 2012
Boston Red Sox – While he doesn’t have the best numbers, the Red Sox have continued to look to Vicente Padilla in close games. He pitched the 8th inning yesterday, setting up for Alfredo Aceves. Hierarchy change: Vicente Padilla to 2nd in line, replacing Matt Albers.

May 8, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Vicente Padilla recorded a 2.2 inning save yesterday in a game the Red Sox won comfortably. No hierarchy change.

May 5, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Vicente Padilla was unable to hold a 1-run lead in the 7th inning on Friday, and now as an 8.38 ERA. Matt Albers (2 ER in 14 IPs) came on and preserved a tie game in the 8th and the 9th inning. Hierarchy change: Matt Albers to 2nd in line, replacing Vicente Padilla.

April 29, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Vicente Padilla came on to record the last out in the 8th with a 1 run lead last night. He has had a couple good appearances since his 5 run meltdown and has re-established himself as a late innings option for the Red Sox. Hierarchy change: Vicente Padilla to 2nd in line, replacing Junichi Tazawa.

April 27, 2012
Boston Red Sox — Junichi Tazawa picked up a three-inning save in last night’s blowout win over the White Sox. No hierarchy change.

April 23, 2012
Boston Red Sox – After Daniel Bard’s turn in the rotation was rained out on Sunday night, Bobby Valentine announced he will use Bard to bolster the back end of the team’s bullpen — but also vowed that Bard will still make his next scheduled start on Friday. Another debacle like Saturday’s, however, and Bard might wrest the closer job from Alfredo Aceves. No hierarchy change.

April 22, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Junichi Tazawa was the only member of the Red Sox bullpen who was able to get anyone out on Saturday, throwing a clean 1.1 innings. Vicente Padilla gave up 5 runs while only recording one out. Hierarchy change: Junichi Tazawa to 2nd in line, replacing Vicente Padilla.

April 16, 2012
Boston Red Sox – Mark Melancon, sporting a 22.50 ERA so far this year, has fallen out of favor in the Red Sox bullpen. Franklin Morales and Vicente Padilla both pitched well in bridging the gap to Alfredo Aceves on Sunday, and are now both ahead of Melancon on the depth chart. Hierarchy change: Vicente Padilla to 2nd in line, replacing Mark Melancon.

April 10, 2012
Boston Red Sox- Alfredo Aceves, yet to record an out this year, pitched a clean inning in recording the save on Monday. However, as Aceves closed out the game, Bobby Valentine had Franklin Morales– not Mark Melancon, who has given up runs in both of his appearances thus far– staying loose in the bullpen. Hierarchy change: Franklin Morales to Set-up, Mark Melancon to 2nd in line.

April 9, 2012
Boston Red Sox- Alfredo Aceves and Mark Melancon both blew save chances in Sunday’s Red Sox game, with manager Bobby Valentine saying after the game that there were lots of options on the table, including possibly bringing Daniel Bard back to the bullpen. Franklin Morales, who had a strong outing Sunday, could also be a candidate to close. Hierarchy change: Franklin Morales to 2nd in line, replacing Vicente Padilla.

April 4, 2012
Boston Red Sox- After losing closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Phillies, the Red Sox acquired Andrew Bailey, but late in spring training, he succumbed to a thumb injury and will miss much of the year. Manager Bobby Valentine said that Alfredo Aceves will start the season at closer, though Mark Melancon will get a look if he struggles. Vicente Padilla could also be in the mix for saves. Starting 2012 hierarchy: Closer- Alfredo Aceves, Set-up- Mark Melancon, 2nd in line- Vicente Padilla. Aceves begins the season on the Hot Seat.

Dec. 29, 2011
Boston Red Sox- The Red Sox have acquired Andrew Bailey from the Oakland A’s. Bailey will assume the closer role immediately, and Mark Melancon will set up. Hierarchy change: Andrew Bailey to Closer, Mark Melancon to Set-up, Alfredo Aceves to 2nd in line.

Dec. 15, 2011
Boston Red Sox- The Red Sox acquired Mark Melancon from the Houston Astros, and the righty will move into the closer’s role. The Red Sox have not yet determined a role for Daniel Bard, who may be moving to the rotation. Hierarchy change: Mark Melancon to Closer, replacing Daniel Bard.

Nov. 14, 2011
Boston Red Sox- With Jonathon Papelbon’s departure, Daniel Bard assumes the closer role by default, for now. Hierarchy change: Daniel Bard to Closer, Alfredo Aceves to Set-up, Franklin Morales to 2nd in line.

Sept. 26, 2011
Boston Red Sox- Felix Doubront picked up the 14th inning save in the Red Sox wild nightcap on Sunday. No hierarchy change.

Aug. 20, 2011
Boston Red Sox- Alfredo Aceves picked up the save last night, but it was of the 3+ inning variety, as the Red Sox were blowing out the Royals. No hierarchy change.

Aug. 18, 2011
Boston Red Sox- Alfredo Aceves struck out 3 in a crisp 1.1 innings of work last night. Dan Wheeler also had a good outing, but Wheeler has been used predominantly in blowouts lately and seems to have fallen out of favor with Terry Francona. Hierarchy change: Aceves to 2nd in line, replacing Wheeler.