Should Red Sox Take Shot On All-Star Closer In Prime With Troubling Past?
The Boston Red Sox have put together a solid start to the season largely due to the long relievers that have unexpectedly shined so far.
That said, the back of the bullpen has been effective but remains thin. Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen has been nails and John Schreiber has been effective for the most part but has had control issues. Chris Martin is on the mend and Tanner Houck remains in the rotation for now.
For that reason, Kaleb Ort and Ryan Brasier have been placed in too many high-leverage spots.
If Boston is looking for a solution, they might find one internationally -- though the lockdown reliever comes with a troubled past.
Former Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros elite closer Roberto Osuna has not pitched in Major League Baseball since his Tommy John surgery in 2020 but has been nearly unhittable internationally.
Osuna started his comeback trail in the Mexican League, where he dominated. He then signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in June.
Osuna posted a 4-1 record with 10 saves, nine holds, 0.91 ERA and a near-perfect 32-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 29 2/3 innings last season.
Now Osuna is with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, where he has not allowed a run in five innings.
While his dominance on the mound proves he is more than able to return to the big leagues from a talent perspective, Osuna comes with a dark past. The All-Star closer was suspended 75 games for domestic abuse in 2018.
Whether the Red Sox want him in the clubhouse or not is an issue in itself, but Osuna would be a fantastic addition from a pure talent perspective.
A bullpen featuring Jansen, Osuna, Schreiber and eventually Martin and Houck would give even the best offenses in baseball fits.
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