At 22-23, the Red Sox are not off to the start that that team had hoped, and while there are a number of culprits who could share the blame. The offense has been solid, with a batting average of .255, eighth in MLB, and a .747 slugging percentage, seventh and while the defense has not been Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance, it has been improved.
No, the problem has been with the pitching staff. Injuries to the starting rotation have forced manager Alex Cora to scramble from the get-go, and outside of ace Garrett Crochet, he has not had many arms on which he could rely. The starters’ ERA of 4.17 is just 23rd in MLB.
But the inconsistency on the front end has left the back end of the staff taxed, as the bullpen has posted an ERA of 3.71, which ranks 14th in baseball. And on Friday, before the Braves series starts, the Red Sox made some moves to address the problem, demoting veteran Cooper Criswell (10.38 ERA) in favor of a newcomer to Boston, Nick Burdi.
Red Sox Set for Nick Burdi Debut
Burdi has been kicking around the big leagues for seven years now, having made his debut with the Pirates in 2018. But he’s never held a spot in the majors for very long, having also appeared with the Cubs and Yankees. For all his time hovering near MLB, though, he has made only 31 appearances during which he produced a 6.48 ERA.
He has walked 19 batters in 25.0 innings pitched, which highlights his big problem on the mound: control.
But, at age 32, there is some hope that perhaps Burdi has unlocked something in the Red Sox system, as he pitched 16.2 innings at Triple A Worcester this season, and issued only five walks. Burdi, a product of Louisville, had much higher expectations in the game, as he was a second-round pick of Minnesota in 2014, after he posted 18 saves and a 0.49 ERA as a senior, striking out 75 batters in 37.0 innings.
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