The Boston Red Sox got off to a very good start, with the best record in baseball through the first month of the summer season at 18-8. But, problems in the bullpen may cause a major problem moving forward, as the deeper position appears to be up in the air. Last offseason, the team worked a package of people to the A's for Andrew Bailey to replace the dead Jonathan Papelbon, who had signed with the Phillies as a totally free agent. After placing a ERA and 75 preserves through his first three seasons in the category, Bailey battled accidents in 2012 and fought to a 7.04 ERA in only 19 performances last season. Though Bailey was healthy to open the year, the group decided to go another path in the ninth inning. Two-time All-Star Joel Hanrahan was bought from the Pirates for four people, and straight away became the closer. Many believed that gave the Red Sox two strong possibilities at the trunk end of the bullpen, but that has not exactly been the case until now. Hanrahan submitted an 11.57 ERA and turned 3-of-4 save chances through his first six looks before landing on the disabled list with a leg tension. With five scoreless performances under his belt to begin the season, Bailey slid into the closer role with Hanrahan on the shelf, and in ten games he had a 2.25 ERA and changed 5-of-6 save yourself odds. Expected to stay in the ninth inning position, even with Hanrahan back, Bailey herself is battling damage and was put on the 15-day DL on Monday with bicep inflammation (h/t ESPN). Bailey hasn't pitched since April 28, therefore he is permitted come off the DL on Might 14. Back in the ninth inning role, Hanrahan has made three appearances since returning, allowing two works and four visits in 2.2 innings while coming one of his true two save odds. If those struggles were not poor enough, he left Monday night's game with the right forearm strain, and he also could possibly be headed back once again to the disabled list in the occasions ahead (h/t ESPN). So where do the Red Sox go from in the ninth inning? There was when Daniel Bard was seen as the closer of the potential and one of the most promising young relievers in the game a time. Nevertheless, a move into the rotation last season threw his career into a tailspin and he's currently in Double-A looking to get things back on track. Probably the most likely candidate to take over at this stage is apparently Koji Uehara, who signed a, $4.25 million package as a totally free agent this offseason. He's been used mainly as a setup man all through his time in the MLB, but he does have knowledge final going back to his time in Japan, in addition to the 2010 period when he went 13-for-15 on save chances with the Orioles. In 15 performances this season, Uehara includes a 2.63 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 13.2 innings of work. These 15 games puts him 2nd on the team to appearances have been made 16 by Junichi Tazawa, who and can also be a candidate for many late-inning work. A former top possibility as a starter, Tazawa finally found a task in the Boston bullpen last season, making 37 appearances with a ERA and 45 strikeouts in 44 innings. He's a ERA and 18 strikeouts in 14.1 innings up to now this season. Andrew Miller (14 G, 3.12 ERA) and Clay Mortensen (12 H, 3.78 ERA) have now been strong as well in 2013, but are unlikely to see action in the ninth. Yet another option the team might examine is recalling lately demoted Alfredo Aceves and using him as closer, a job he filled last time when he transformed 25-of-33 possibilities filling out for Bailey. It appears unlikely the group would trust him for the reason that part at this time, considering he was demoted after setting up a ERA through his first five games (three begins). A dark horse prospect to see time at closer might be top pitching possibility Allen Webster, who got a spot start already in 2013 and pitched more than six innings. His potential is in the turn, and the group might not need to throw off his development through the children by putting him in the bullpen, especially after seeing what happened to Bard. However, guys like Adam Wainwright and David Price were competitors out of the bullpen before going on to be frontline entrepreneurs, and while Webster may well not quite be on their degree, he still has the material to get guys out in the ninth. Heading back to the original question however of whether or not the Red Sox bullpen can survive with no established closer, the answer right now is we'll need certainly to wait and see. They have numerous possibilities capable of going into the role and succeeding, and enough established veteran relievers that they may also opt to go with a closer-by-committee for the time being. The ninth inning is a different animal entirely though, and achievement at the center innings does not always change, so they really may have their hands full in the months ahead shuffling the 'pencil around to produce things work.
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