Red Sox Won't Be 'Back' Until They Fix Bullpen With 2 Major Deals

In hindsight, backing up the Brinks truck for Craig Kimbrel doesn't look as bad as it did this summer, does it?

The Boston Red Sox kept most of its 2018 World Series winning team together this offseason, but are currently sitting in third in the AL East, thanks in large part to one of the worst bullpens in the major leagues. Their shocking lack of depth was on full display yesterday against the Toronto Blue Jays, when they threw away a 6-0 lead as Marcus Walden, Matt Barnes, and de facto closer Ryan Brasier all couldn't find the strike zone in an 8-7 loss.

The Red Sox can't claim to be serious about contending until they fix this shambolic bullpen.

While a largely subpar unit was hidden last year behind excellent hitting and starting pitching, the subtle decline in those areas have pushed their bullpen into the spotlight. Needless to say, they've floundered to this point.

There is going to be no shortage of relievers on the market once the trade deadline starts inching closer. Some of those available talents are guys like Brad Hand, Greg Holland, and Felipe Vasquez, all of whom have proven to be among the league's best out of the 'pen. Boston needs at least one, but probably two, star relievers to stand a chance once the playoffs roll around.

How many more of these meltdowns can Alex Cora and Dave Dombrowski watch before they decide to finally upgrade this horror show? Calling up random names from Pawtucket clearly isn't helping.

Let's see how the Red Sox handle this next month, as with the trade deadline looming, the time to act is now.