Inside The Red Sox

Ex-Red Sox All-Star Closer Putting On Showcase; Could Reunion Be Coming?

Boston is in the market for pitching
Scott Neville|
Ex-Red Sox All-Star Closer Putting On Showcase; Could Reunion Be Coming?
Ex-Red Sox All-Star Closer Putting On Showcase; Could Reunion Be Coming?

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Boston Red Sox

Could the Boston Red Sox turn to a homegrown hurler to bolster their pitching staff with spring training just a couple of weeks away?

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reportedly has been in talks with a myriad of free-agent pitchers as he aims to improve the pitching staff with time running out.

Breslow could sign a former teammate who is seeking an opportunity at the big-league level after injuries derailed his last opportunity. 

"Free agent right-handed pitcher Matt Barnes, a 2021 All-Star, is likely to throw for Major League Baseball teams within the next week," MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Sunday. "Barnes is coming back from an offseason hip procedure; with his World Series experience, he could be a wise addition for teams needing bullpen help."

Barnes' career has been a rollercoaster over the last few seasons after a lengthy period of reliability for Boston.

The 33-year-old posted a 5.48 ERA with a 20-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .284 batting average against and a 1.64 WHIP in 21 1/3 innings for the Miami Marlins last season.

A left hip impingement placed Barnes on the injured list twice as he missed the majority of the 2023 campaign. His underwhelming stint in Miami was cut short when the Marlins declined his $9 million club option. He's now in search of a new landing spot.

Barnes was a homegrown Red Sox player who carved out a nine-season career in Boston. The veteran hurler's 429 appearances with the Red Sox are the third-most in team history, trailing only Bob Stanley and Tim Wakefield.

Barnes' 4.15 FIP last season points to his potential to bounce back in 2024 but a reunion with the Red Sox does not appear to be the most likely scenario.

More MLB: Red Sox Linked To Trio Of Intriguing Hurlers In Effort To Bolster Pitching Staff

Published
Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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