This afternoon, the Boston Red Sox continued their offseason shopping, finally finding a taker for right-hander Matt Barnes.
The Miami Marlins were that team, and they agreed to send veteran left-hander Richard Bleier over to Boston in exchange for Barnes.
Barnes was one of the last remaining holdovers from the 2018 World Series championship team.
He had a disappointing season in 2022, going 0-4 with a 4.31 ERA in 44 games and only 39.2 innings of work.
The 32-year-old had once been the closer for the Red Sox, but now finds himself headed to Miami after a rough 2022 season.
Ken Rosenthal was the first to report the news, with Jon Heyman confirming his report.
Red Sox acquiring Richard Bleier from Marlins for Matt Barnes confirmed @Ken_Rosenthal 1st
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 30, 2023
Bleier, 35, should be a solid addition to the Red Sox bullpen and could serve as a left-handed specialist.
In 55 appearances, Bleier posted a 3.55 ERA over 50.2 innings of work.
The veteran left-hander made his MLB debut in 2016 with the New York Yankees.
He then joined the Baltimore Orioles and was traded over to Miami at the deadline in 2020.
For his career, Bleier owns a 3.06 ERA.
Boston had already added Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin to bolster their bullpen and had also signed Corey Kluber to strengthen their starting rotation.
The Red Sox finished at the bottom of the American League East in 2022 thanks in large part to their pitching struggles.
Bleier should help provide some stability in their bullpen as they look to improve for 2023 and bounce back from a 78-win campaign.
In addition to the veteran pitchers, Boston added Masataka Yoshida, Justin Turner, and Adam Duvall to strengthen the depth of their lineup.
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