Closers are a tricky thing to find in Major League Baseball. They can come from seemingly anywhere, but it’s impossible to predict how they will perform until they’re placed in the role.
The Boston Red Sox had an all-time great closing games for the past two years, but it seems unlikely that 37-year-old Kenley Jansen will return after leaving the team early at the end of the season. The Red Sox bullpen was a huge reason behind their 2024 failure, and now they’ll be tasked with finding a new cornerstone.
Free agency and trades are always options, but what if the Red Sox add nobody and choose to focus their resources elsewhere? They have a number of relievers who could step into the closer role, including a standout rookie in Justin Slaten and a proven closer returning from injury in Liam Hendriks.
One possible dark horse is lurking in the wings, however. Rick McNair of FanSided mentioned the possibility that longtime Red Sox swingman Garrett Whitlock, who made only four starts due to injury in 2024, could shift to the closer role for the upcoming season.
“Whitlock has two attributes that play well in the closing role: a career of 1.9 BB% and 9.4 K%. His 44.4 GB% is slightly above the league average, and his pitching toolbox has four basic options with particular emphasis on his slider and change,” McNair said.
“The Red Sox need a strong return on investment on Whitlock’s four-year contract, and a closer could be it — no need to pace like a starter and keep it simple with his pitch variety.”
Whitlock has long been a more effective reliever than starter–he has a 4.29 career ERA when starting and a 2.65 when coming out of the bullpen. He’s also been more effective as a multi-inning reliever than a closer, having blown six of his 15 career save opportunities.
The aforementioned four-year extension Whitlock signed actually can become a six-year deal that takes him through the end of 2028. He has club options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, and the total value of his contract can double from the $18.75 million guarantee up front.
Getting utility out of Whitlock will be crucial for the Red Sox’s success moving forward. Whether the closer role is the wisest way to utilize him, however, remains to be seen.
