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Ex-Yankees Hurler Holding Showcase; Should Red Sox Bolster Bullpen?

Boston could use some depth
Scott Neville|
Ex-Yankees Hurler Holding Showcase; Should Red Sox Bolster Bullpen?
Ex-Yankees Hurler Holding Showcase; Should Red Sox Bolster Bullpen?

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox did not make a ton of splashes this offseason but they did totally revamp their bullpen for the better. 

Even with all the changes, the bottom of the roster still is expected to include low-level hurlers such as Ryan Brasier and Kaleb Ort. 

Could the Red Sox turn to a former New York Yankees high-leverage reliever to improve their depth? They'll have a chance to do so with the season approaching. 

"Free agent reliever Zack Britton will throw a simulated game on Thursday at UC-Irvine," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal tweeted Wednesday night. "About eight teams are expected to be in attendance."

Britton has dealt with various setbacks over the last few seasons, most recently left shoulder, elbow and hamstring injuries. 

While that certainly remains his most significant red flag, the last two full seasons for the southpaw have been highly productive. 

Britton posted a 1.90 ERA with 11 saves, a 69-to-39 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .180 batting average against, 1.11 WHIP and 232 ERA+ between 2019 and 2020 across 80 1/3 innings for the Yankees. 

The veteran hurler now is 35 years old but could be a low-risk, high-reward option assuming his velocity has not dropped significantly. They'll have the showcase to sort that potential issue out. 

The New York Mets appear to be a lock as one of the eight teams in attendance, the other seven are unknown. There was already smoke about Britton heading to The Big Apple given his relationship with manager Buck Showalter. With the seemingly serious injury to Edwin Diaz in the World Baseball Classic, the likelihood of Britton heading to the Mets has grown exponentially. 

While the Mets appear to have the upper hand, it would be wise for Boston to take a shot on Britton, assuming his showcase goes well.

More MLB: Red Sox Outfielder Forcing His Way Onto MLB Roster With Spring Training Play

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's "Boston Red Sox On SI." Before launching the site (formerly called 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 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 (rebranded to On SI) in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Boston Red Sox On SI." Since then, he's added eight more regional sites with the company. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: scott@moreviewsmedia.com

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