Where Red Sox's Bullpen Battle Stands After Latest Spring Training Cuts

Though it might not be the most headline-rich part of a typical Major League Baseball team's roster, the bullpen has become a spring training storyline for the Boston Red Sox.

For the most part, we know who the 13 members of the position player group and the five members of the starting rotation will be for Boston on March 26 in Cincinnati. But outside of a few obvious locks, the bullpen was fairly up in the air coming into spring training, as the Red Sox seemed determined to let some unproven hurlers compete for spots.

The last week, however, has provided a lot of clarity. Signing lefty Danny Coulombe shrunk the opportunity for some of the fringe contenders, and after a Tuesday round of roster cuts, we're left with a well-defined competition to watch closely over the final week of the season.

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Red Sox bullpen battle likely down to one spot

Mar 5, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Watson (56) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

As the Red Sox announced on social media, right-handers Noah Song, Wyatt Olds, and Seth Martinez, and left-hander T.J. Sikkema were reassigned to minor-league camp. Song and Martinez, in particular, had become names to watch as potential opening day roster selections.

Now that the dust has settled, here are the pitchers who should have spots locked up in the opening day bullpen, with the only question being whether Coulombe is ready to go after his short ramp-up period:

Aroldis Chapman (L)
Garrett Whitlock
Justin Slaten
Greg Weissert
Danny Coulombe (L)
Jovani Morán (L)
Zack Kelly

That also means we can declare these pitchers to be firmly on the bubble with only a week or so to go before final decisions have to be made.:

Ryan Watson
Tayron Guerrero
Kyle Keller
Tyler Samaniego (L)

Watson, the lone Rule 5 draftee on the team, has to make the team to avoid being offered back to the San Francisco Giants. The rest can be sent to Triple-A, with Samaniego under the longest leash in terms of team control as a first-year member of the 40-man roster.

Samaniego figures to be more of a candidate to take over briefly for Coulombe if he isn't ready to go than a threat to unseat someone like Watson or Keller. The latter picked up the save for Boston against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, but allowed a run on two hits in his inning of work.

Given that all the newcomers have virtually no recent track record at the major league level, it's also hard to project exactly which criteria the Red Sox will use to make their choice.