Red Sox should already be concerned about their bullpen after early losses

The Boston Red Sox are off to a slow start this season with just one of four regular season games won so far. 

The Boston Red Sox played a difficult game against the Detroit Tigers on Monday afternoon and came out with a 3-1 loss. Their offense was undoubtedly performing below their abilities, which was a sure sign of something to be worked on. However, the Red Sox bullpen has shown some unfortunate turns that should be looked at closely.

The Red Sox switched through five different bullpen pitchers after relieving starting pitcher Michael Wacha left the bump. Most of the bullpen arms gave up some hits but limited the damage. One pitcher, Ryan Brasier, gave up a late and costly home run, however. They have rotated through the bullpen fairly well and given the pitchers an opportunity to show some of their skills. Each pitcher’s playing time, however, was pretty short and may not accurately show their reliability or consistency.

Garrett Whitlock seems to be the most reliable pitcher in the bullpen so far, which seems expected considering he was a starter during spring training games this season. With Chris Sale out with a long-term injury, Whitlock will likely be the most consistent bullpen pitcher.

Beyond Garrett Whitlock, who else is a reliable Red Sox bullpen pitcher?

Based on the game against the Tigers, Matt Barnes has proven to be an asset with a scoreless sixth inning during his first appearance of the season. However, there is risk with adding Barnes consistently into the mix because he just came back from injury and struggled at the end of last year. Though he is officially cleared to play, it would be a big risk to play him regularly for long periods of time because of the potential of re-injury.

Some of the bullpen pitchers struggled during spring training, and it’s difficult to say exactly who will be reliable this season. The overall bullpen could be a little bit unpredictable, which should be a concern for the Red Sox.