Joe Kelly had a wild ride in 2018. He started the year on fire, then struggled down the back stretch when he might have been tipping pitches. He finished things on top, posting a 0.79 in 11 1/3 playoff innings as the Red Sox won the World Series. If he can recapture that magic, team’s could use him as more than just a middle reliever or setup guy. (Rob Bradford; WEEI)
If Kelly does take on the closer role somewhere else, there are plenty of pitchers the Red Sox could try to sign as a replacement. (Evan Drellich; NBC Sports Boston)
Speaking of pitchers that need to be resigned, David Price isn’t mincing words with his thoughts on what the Red Sox should do about Nathan Eovaldi. (Calli Remillard; Boston Globe)
Edwin Diaz, a 24-year-old All Star closer who finished eighth in Cy Young voting this year, would be a great option in the Boston bullpen. It would probably take quite a bit to pry him from the Mariners, however. (Chris Cotillo; MassLive)
We’re not even close to finished discussing what the Sox will do with their bullpen. What about Tyler Thornburg? (Ian Browne; MLB.com)
There isn’t as much time as you might think for all this stuff to work out. We’re only a bit more than a couple months from Truck Day. (Chad Jennings; The Athletic) ($$)
Somebody who won’t be with the Red Sox next year is Allard Baird, who was senior vice president of player personnel for Boston and was formerly the GM of the Kansas City Royals. Baird was hired by the Mets. (Peter Abraham; Boston Globe)