Red Sox Surprise Addition Of Former Dodgers Reliever With 2.28 ERA

The Boston Red Sox focused on improving the bullpen at the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline. But those improvements haven’t exactly panned out on paper.

Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox have had MLB’s worst bullpen by ERA and home runs allowed. They’ve blown an astonishing 12 saves with just four successful saves in that same time frame. And the trade deadline sure seemed like their last chance to improve that part of the roster.

However, until the end of August, the waiver wire is always a place where a team might stumble into a valuable addition. And the Los Angeles Dodgers may have given the Red Sox a chance to claim a pitcher who could help in an area the Red Sox are hurting the most.

The Dodgers announced on X that they had designated right-handed pitcher Brent Honeywell for assignment on Sunday, clearing roster space for rookie call-up Ben Casparius. Honeywell now heads to waivers, where any team is allowed to claim him for the next seven days.

Honeywell, 29, was once a Top 100 prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays. But four arm surgeries in the last decade have turned him into a journeyman, and he has now been let go by six teams in the past three years.

With a 2.28 ERA across 23 2/3 innings this season, Honeywell could help several teams with a need in the bullpen. But there’s one characteristic in particular that sets Honeywell apart as a perfect fit for the Red Sox.

Because he throws a screwball, rarely seen in today’s MLB, Honeywell is more effective against left-handed hitters than against righties. Lefties have hit just .205 against Honeywell this season, while righties are batting a stout .326.

Traditional lefties have come and gone in the Boston bullpen all season. Currently, Bailey Horn and Brennan Bernardino are the arms Alex Cora typically brings on in relief situations against a group of lefty batters. But perhaps Honeywell could be the unorthodox solution Boston needs.

Putting in a waiver claim is no guarantee that the Red Sox will be the ones to land Honeywell, but the fact that their record is worse than most other playoff contenders is at least some advantage. Within a week, we’ll know where Honeywell will be pitching next.