PT TOMORROW: AL East — Otta-matic for the people? A closer look at BOS bullpen

Boston Red Sox

Ever since the Red Sox acquired Adam Ottavino (RHP, BOS) in the rare trade with their fiercest AL East rival, there has been considerable debate over whether Ottavino would be tapped as the Red Sox new closer. Let’s sift through a few of the tea leaves.

First, returning manager Alex Cora recently made a comment about the dangers of “using your best one against their best one, night in and night out.”

He then specifically mentioned Matt Barnes (RHP, BOS), who in 2019 “had a great start, but then he faced the elite of the elite for like two weeks in a row, and we paid the price.”

While Cora emphasized that he does feel like Barnes is capable of repeatedly facing the heart of an opponent’s lineup, he added, “it’s not what I...

Almost!

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