Per Sean McAdam of MassLive, the Boston Red Sox are currently in the market for left-handed bullpen help. Looking at the projected Opening Day roster, there are a lot of right-handers to provide help, including Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten. There are also intriguing prospects such as Kyle Keller. However, when looking at the left-handers, aside from American League Reliever of the Year Aroldis Chapman, there’s some concern to be had. Jovani Moran appeared in two games in 2025 after missing the entire 2024 season with Tommy John surgery. Then there’s Tyler Samaniego, who’s yet to make an appearance in Triple-A, let alone the major leagues. Despite that, he is progressing well, having an ERA of 3.09 in 20 appearances to go along with three saves.
The uncertainty of those two is a bit concerning, though, which justifies the decision to search for more help. Let’s go through the several approaches that Boston could go with here.
Where the Red Sox Could Turn for Left-Handed Bullpen Help
In-House Relief Options
Based on certain moves this offseason, it’s fair to assume that some issues can be solved in-house or in the farm system. So let’s apply that to this situation. While there are certainly more right-handed options than southpaws, a few lefties could be looked at.
TJ Sikkema
TJ Sikkema was a prospect for the New York Yankees when he was traded to the Kansas City Royals for former Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi. He was later released in 2023 and drafted by Cincinnati in the Rule 5 Draft. This offseason, he signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox. He split time between the rotation and bullpen last season in Double & Triple A with Cincinnati’s affiliates. Between those teams, he went 8-4 with a 4.57 ERA. There are some concerns, such as his high WHIP of 1.258 and his ERA. But with time, he could contribute later down the line.
Jeremy Wu-Yelland
Jeremy Wu-Yelland was drafted by the Red Sox in 2020 and got called up to Double-A this past season. He went 2-0 in Portland in 18 appearances, only walking 11 of the 138 batters he faced. In addition, he held opposing batters to a .198 average. The former starter turned bullpen pitcher got a non-roster invite to spring training this year. He throws a mix of four pitches, but his standout is his 98 MPH fastball. He also favors his cutter. Despite not reaching Worcester yet, the fact that he got invited to spring training is a sign that he shows real promise. If not by Opening Day, Wu-Yelland should be expected to make his debut at some point this season
Payton Tolle
Payton Tolle is a top 100 prospect who debuted last season. And while Tolle and fellow prospect Connelly Early were rumored to be in trade talks for big bats like Ketel Marte and Nico Hoerner, both ultimately stayed put. With a stacked rotation this year, it will be hard to imagine a point this season where both Tolle and Early start (barring any injuries, of course). If there were questions about Johan Oviedo, Early would probably be the choice to replace him, meaning Tolle would be sent to the bullpen.
Payton Tolle suiting up pic.twitter.com/aTboM7oMjP
— Matthew Crory (@matthewcrory) February 12, 2026
During the regular season, four of his seven appearances were out of the bullpen. While his WHIP was worse than Sikkema’s at 1.592, he was a rookie adjusting to the major league level last year. There’s still a lot of potential to be seen, and maybe small sample sizes in the bullpen will help him. It is unlikely that either Tolle or Early will be moved to the bullpen, but it’s still a possibility.
Free Agents/Possible Trade Pieces
There’s always the alternative route of acquiring free agents or players that won’t crack the 40-man roster as well. In terms of free agents, pitchers such as Danny Coulombe and Jalen Beeks are searching for major league contracts. Due to Boston’s 40-man roster stretching a bit thin, there may be some reluctance to do this.
However, the options of fringe roster pitchers seem to be endless right now. There’s a good chance that these guys will be optioned to Triple-A in their respective franchises. But it wouldn’t hurt for the Red Sox to check in on any of them.
Genesis Cabrera
Genesis Cabrera is a veteran pitcher who was traded several times last year, playing for four teams. This spring, he’s with the Philadelphia Phillies, looking for a roster spot. His 2025 season was all over the place, not faring well with any team. It’s better to look at his 2024 campaign, which he spent with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 69 appearances out of the bullpen, he had an ERA of 3.59 in almost 63 innings. While his advanced metrics don’t pop out on paper (.268 OBA and 18.5 K%), he could be seen as a stable one-inning guy when needed.
In terms of where he fits in with Philadelphia, their rotation and bullpen at the major league level are loaded. Their rotation is among the best in the league. This is important to note, because their second-best prospect is a pitcher who could debut this year in Andrew Painter, meaning either Cabrera or Taijuan Walker gets moved to an already elite bullpen. There’s no clear path for Cabrera, leaving him as a viable option for Boston to add.
Tyler Gilbert
Tyler Gilbert of the Chicago White Sox is probably the most likely of these three to remain with their team. But with the additions of Jordan Hicks and Seranthony Dominguez, it’s not so certain. This isn’t even including the pairing of Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith waiting in the minors. Gilbert would be a nice acquisition for Boston. On the surface, he may seem like a typical run-of-the-mill pitcher, boasting a 3.88 ERA through 51 innings to go with 49 strikeouts in the White Sox system. But the advanced metrics really give insight. He holds opponents to a .215 batting average and strikes out 22.8% of batters he’s faced. He is on the older side at 32, but he would definitely be a valuable pickup.
JoJo Romero
JoJo Romero is a reliever looking to get a spot on the St. Louis Cardinals roster this season. He’s also trying to improve his value in a contract year. Currently, he’s the second option for the closer role in St. Louis, behind the injured Riley O’Brien. Romero finished last year with a 2.07 ERA and an OBA of .217. It wouldn’t be crazy for St. Louis to hold onto him, as their bullpen arms are iffy, and he could be a premier arm there.
However, the Cardinals have been trending towards trading expiring contracts and building towards the future. More importantly, Cardinals GM Chaim Bloom has done two trades with the Red Sox. Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras have been traded for a surplus of pitching, including promising prospect Brandon Clarke. It’d be a stretch to find a reason to let a guy like Romero go, but should he be on the market, Boston should make a push.
Verdict
All of these pitchers are good in their own right. However, if the Red Sox were to get two or three pitchers this next month, it would probably be a mix. If Tolle is chosen to be in the bullpen, he’d take one of those spots, but the assumption is neither him or Early will go to the bullpen. So the best bullpen options for the Red Sox could be:
- Jeremy Wu-Yelland
- JoJo Romero
- Tyler Gilbert
Yu-Welland is in camp right now and progressing in the right direction, so bringing him up wouldn’t cost anything. Gilbert and/or Romero could cost a prospect or two, but if they are anything like they showed last year, it’d be an avenue to explore.
Main Photo Credit: © Brad Penner-Imagn Images
