When the Los Angeles Dodgers declined Joe Kelly’s club option for 2024 making the former Red Sox pitcher a free agent, he instantly became an option for Boston to bolster their bullpen.
Even though Kelly’s time with the Red Sox was complex at times, his performance in the 2018 postseason alone pretty much erased the majority of the bad memories.
Appearing in nine games for Boston, Kelly allowed just two runs on eight hits while striking out 13 and not walking a single batter. He bolstered a 0.79 ERA across 11.1 innings pitched with a 2-1 record for a .667 win percentage.
Not too shabby.
His best performance in a Red Sox uniform in the regular season came in 2017 when he posted a 2.79 ERA in 54 appearances for Boston. In 58 innings, Kelly struck out 52 batters while allowing just 19 runs.
In the five years he pitched for the Red Sox, Kelly posted a 4.33 ERA across 359.1 innings with a .703 win-loss percentage. He struck out 319 of the 1,557 batters he faced, allowing 335 hits, 181 runs and surrendering 32 home runs. In the winter following the 2018 season, Kelly signed a three-year deal with the Dodgers as a free agent.
Is it possible for Kelly to come back to Boston again? Let’s break down the case for and against the Red Sox bringing back Kelly.
The case for signing Kelly
The Red Sox have plenty of offseason needs, with starting pitching arguably the most pressing. And while the rotation may be the priority, adding a solid reliever can only help if new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is unable to obtain his wishlist.
Kelly would definitely fit with the existing bullpen of Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin especially if Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock are able to return to relief roles.
First and foremost, he has a championship-winning pedigree with two World Series rings. The first with the Red Sox in 2018 and the second coming in 2020 with the Dodgers.
The 35-year-old was effective for the Dodgers following a midseason trade from the Chicago White Sox. In 11 appearances, Kelly posted a 1.74 ERA allowing just three runs in 10.1 innings pitched and striking out 19 of the 40 batters he faced.
His success in LA was easy to explain. He returned to the elite status he possessed in the 2018 Red Sox postseason and his arsenal of pitches has improved since his previous stint in Boston.
Since the Dodgers decided on the $1 million buyout, Kelly will test the market with his last two trips in free agency resulting in a two-year, $17 million deal with Chicago in 2021 and $25 million for three years in 2018 with the Dodgers. According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Kelly’s projected salary would be less than $8.5 million for one year, which might be short money for a team in dire need of pitching.
The case for not signing Kelly
Sometimes reunions just don’t play out the way you hope they would. While there is a lot of upside for Kelly to return to the Red Sox the biggest reason to just say no is that Boston needs starting pitchers, not relievers.
Kelly has faced the injury bug a bit since leaving Boston. He has been sidelined by an ailing hamstring, groin, elbow, biceps and forearm. He missed a month of the 2023 season with a forearm issue and pitched fewer than 40 innings in three of the past four seasons.
While in Chicago for the better part of two seasons, Kelly posted a 5.59 ERA over 66 innings in 74 appearances. Even though he only surrendered five home runs, Kelly allowed 45 runs on 62 hits before returning to the Dodgers.
In his 12-year career, the right-handed pitcher has an above-average ERA at 3.95, but whether or not he can sustain those numbers in a return to Boston is questionable.
With Kelly, it’s all about him staying healthy. If he can stay healthy, his arm in the bullpen can only help bridge the gap between Marin and Jansen. He definitely wouldn’t be suited as a long-inning reliever.
