Red Sox Release Veteran Reliever Months After Trading All-Star For Him
The Boston Red Sox reportedly are moving on from a veteran reliever after making a notable trade to acquire his services from the Miami Marlins.
Boston has released left-hander Richard Bleier according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo on Wednesday. He's free to sign elsewhere after being designated for assignment on Monday.
Bleier struggled from the onset of the season, sustained left shoulder inflammation which held him out for most of the year and then came back ineffective. The 36-year-old posted a 5.28 ERA with a 16-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .306 batting average against and 1.37 WHIP in 30 2/3 innings across 27 games. He had some big moments but was largely unable to miss bats and also featured reverse splits, making it quite hard for manager Alex Cora to deploy him correctly.
The aging veteran was acquired for former All-Star closer Matt Barnes and cash considerations from the Marlins over the winter.
While that might sound like a lopsided trade, the reality is that neither team won. Barnes posted a 5.48 ERA with a 20-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .284 batting average against and 1.64 WHIP in 21 1/3 innings before hitting the shelf with season-ending hip surgery.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was wise to capitalize on Barnes' unsustainable second-half production but chose the wrong acquisition. That said, it's unlikely that he could have done much better in a trade centered around the homegrown hurler after years of inconsistency.
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