Red Sox's Danny Coulombe Signing Spells Trouble for These 3 Pitchers

Friday evening's news was significant to everyone involved with the Boston Red Sox, but it was the most serious for the last few relief pitchers fighting for an opening day roster spot.

With a reported one-year, $1 million major league agreement for lefty reliever Danny Coulombe, the Red Sox found the bullpen lefty they had been speculated to sign all winter. There can only be eight relievers in a bullpen, so guaranteeing Coulombe a spot forces someone else out.

Whether Coulombe is ready for opening day is still up in the air, but seeing as his inclusion on the roster will eventually be inevitable, here are the three Red Sox arms whose paths to playing time just got a lot more difficult.

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Ryan Watson

We'd heard for much of the spring that Watson was struggling with his command, and as the Red Sox's only Rule 5 player this year, he's in a uniquely precarious position as he guns for a roster spot.

If Watson doesn't make the opening day roster, or if the Red Sox want him off that roster at any point for a reason other than injury, they'll have to offer him back to the San Francisco Giants. They may decide to simply rip off the band-aid if he's not one of the eight best arms, and Coulombe guarantees one more arm just jumped in front of him.

Tyler Samaniego

Like Watson, Samaniego has yet to make his major league debut. Fortunately, because the Red Sox acquired him in a trade, he still has all three minor-league options remaining, so there's lots of flexibility there.

But with Jovani Morán out of options, Samaniego likely falls to fourth place on the left-handed bullpen depth chart. That doesn't mean he won't make his debut by the end of the summer, but the timeline probably just got pushed back.

Kyle Keller

You could insert any non-roster invitee here, but Keller seemed to be gaining the most traction in his bid for a bullpen spot. Keller is likely in direct competition with Watson now, as the roster is likely to carry five righties and three lefties.

Keller signed for the largest major league salary of any of the Red Sox's non-roster invitees, but has struggled in his small spring sample. Tayron Guerrero and Seth Martinez could just as easily have been listed here.