Red Sox Insider Drops Update on Potential Justin Wilson Reunion

A productive member of last year's pen...

Aug 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Justin Wilson (right) and catcher Carlos Narvaez (left) celebrate the win against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Justin Wilson was rock-solid as a middle reliever for the Boston Red Sox last year, but it seems as though he's likely to go down as a one-year wonder.

The Red Sox quickly signed Wilson to a one-year, $2.25 million contract in November 2024, which seemed odd at the time, because he was coming off a brutal year with the Cincinnati Reds, including a 5.59 ERA.

Wilson proved his Cincinnati struggles were a thing of the past, putting up a 3.35 ERA in 61 outings as a Red Sox in his age-37 season. But while Boston still could theoretically use one more lefty to add to the bullpen, it seems quite unlikely that such a lefty will be a familiar face.

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Justin Wilson and Red Sox not positioned for reunion

On Thursday, Rob Bradford of WEEI reported that the Red Sox had not seriously pursued Wilson all winter, hinting that it was even possible the 13-year veteran could retire from the sport altogether.

"In case you were wondering, the Red Sox have never really shown interest in bringing back Justin Wilson. He is still unsigned and hasn't officially retired," Bradford wrote on X.

Wilson was good against both lefties and righties, and he took the ball whenever the Red Sox needed him. But one can't necessarily expect him to have back-to-back good seasons in his late 30s, assuming he still even wants to keep pitching.

Wilson has never spent more than three years with a single team, and has pitched for seven teams in total: the Reds, Red Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Detroit Tigers.

Boston's bullpen is bound to look a lot different on the left-handed side. Closer Aroldis Chapman is still around, but in addition to Wilson, Steven Matz, Brennan Bernardino, and Chris Murphy have all departed. Jovani Morán, who pitched well in Triple-A last year but only saw two appearances in the majors, looks primed for a big step up in terms of workload.

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