The Boston Red Sox closed out the regular season with a 6-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Tropicana Field on Sunday. The result did not matter. The attention had already shifted to what comes next.
The Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees begins Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. As the Red Sox prepare for that matchup, one notable decision emerged over the weekend.
Garrett Crochet will be in New York. Curtis Mead and Johan Oviedo will not be. Manager Chad Tracy confirmed Crochet was the only player from the team’s stay-ready camp in Fort Myers joining the club in the Bronx.
Crochet’s Live BP Went Well
Crochet threw an inning of live batting practice in Fort Myers on Saturday. Tracy offered a straightforward assessment of how it looked.
“It went well. Felt good. Came out of it good,” Tracy said, per Tim Healey of the Boston Globe.
The Red Sox have not announced whether Crochet will be on the Wild Card roster. That decision will come later when the team holds its workout at Yankee Stadium. But the fact that he is traveling to New York while Mead and Oviedo remain in Florida tells you where things are trending.
Crochet has not pitched in a major league game since April. A shoulder injury shut him down early in the season and he has spent months working his way back through bullpen sessions and live batting practice. He skipped a minor league rehab assignment entirely during the process.
Why the Red Sox Could Use Him
The bullpen picture changed over the weekend. Tyron Guerrero suffered a Grade 2 lat strain on Saturday and was placed on the injured list, removing one of the few arms Tracy trusted in high-leverage spots.
That loss, combined with Justin Slaten being out for the season and Erik Miller’s inconsistent September, has left Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock as the only two proven late-inning options.
Adding Crochet would give Tracy a wildcard. The Yankees carry left-handed bats like Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger who could be matchup targets in the sixth or seventh inning.
The question is whether the Red Sox trust a pitcher who has not faced a major league hitter in five months to deliver in that kind of moment. One inning of live BP in Fort Myers is not the same as a playoff at-bat at Yankee Stadium.
Final Word for the Red Sox
Garrett Crochet has not pitched in a game since April. He threw one inning of live batting practice on Saturday. On Sunday, he boarded the plane to New York.
The Red Sox have not confirmed he will be on the roster. But they brought him to the Bronx. That says enough about where the conversation is heading.
Whether Tracy trusts him for an inning or not, having Crochet available changes what the Red Sox can do late in a close game. The bullpen got thinner this weekend. Crochet gives Tracy one more option to work with.
Red Sox Get Notable Garrett Crochet Update Ahead of Yankees Showdown