Red Sox Could Lean On Recently Reacquired Flamethrower To Bolster Bullpen
The Boston Red Sox got a last-minute addition to their bullpen right before the season gets underway.
Right-handed reliever Andrew (A.J.) Politi was returned to the Red Sox on Tuesday after the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the Rule-5 Draft in December and later designated him for assignment.
The 26-year-old went unclaimed despite a strong showing last season.
The reacquisition of Politi could lend a helping hand to the backend of the bullpen. Red Sox manager Alex Cora hinted at a need for improvement Monday.
“There’s a lot of stuff that is going on right now," Cora told MassLive's Chris Cotillo. "There’s a lot of guys out there. If we see an opportunity to take advantage of it, we’ll do it. If not, we’ll stay in house.”
Politi posted a 2.34 ERA with an 83-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .186 batting average against and 0.97 WHIP in 69 1/3 innings between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester last season.
Politi being reacquired falls in line with what Cora was looking for in the bullpen leading up to Opening Day, but a few questions remain. Will Politi get the call-up to the show this year? Or will he need some more time to prove himself in the minors?
The Red Sox would need to add him onto the 40-man roster but if Cora already hinted at targeting external candidates, that would need to happen either way.
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