The Boston Red Sox have a busy offseason ahead of them, and it appears they’re already laying some groundwork.
The Red Sox are “among the most aggressive suitors” of free agent relief pitcher Greg Holland, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reported Monday, citing a major league source. Boston was one of 20 teams to attend Holland’s showcase last week and reportedly show interest in him, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
The former Kansas City Royals closer missed the entire 2016 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched since September 2015. But he was a star in Kansas City’s bullpen before that, posting a 1.21 ERA with 47 saves in 2013 and a 1.44 ERA with 46 saves in 2014. The 30-year-old tapered off a bit in 2015 but still posted 32 saves before his injury, as the Royals went on to win the World Series.
Relief pitching certainly is a priority for Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. The Red Sox will benefit from the expected return of Carson Smith from Tommy John surgery, but Dombrowski still is searching for eighth-inning setup man behind closer Craig Kimbrel.
The Sox will have plenty of competition for Holland, however. The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals are just a few teams who reportedly have shown interest in the two-time All-Star, according to Bradford.
Thumbnail photo via John Reiger/USA TODAY Sports Images