Red Sox's Steven Matz Trade May Have Unfortunate Consequences For Veteran Lefty

A year after left-handed relief pitching was a constant concern, the Boston Red Sox suddenly have a bullpen full of southpaws.

Coming into the trade deadline, the Red Sox already had closer Aroldis Chapman, Justin Wilson, Brennan Bernardino, and Chris Murphy in the left-handed mix. Then, on Wednesday night, they acquired Steven Matz in a one-for-one swap with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Most hitters are right-handed, so having a bullpen that's 62.5 percent left-handed doesn't make much sense. Someone is likely to be removed from the active roster, but it may not be as simple as sending down the last guy who got called up.

On Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive speculated that Bernardino, who has made 47 appearances already this season, might be the one sent down to clear roster space for Matz.

"Almost impossible to see them carrying 5 bullpen lefties so Bernardino, who has been overworked, may go to Worcester. Murphy has been good," wrote Cotillo on X.

Bernardino hasn't just been a workhorse for the Red Sox this year; he's taken the ball 161 times since arriving with the team in early 2023. He's also tracking for his best season yet, with a 3.09 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings. He's tied with 13 other pitchers for the 32nd-most appearances in Major League Baseball.

Murphy, who has made 10 appearances in the big leagues since his Tommy John surgery recovery, sports a 2.70 ERA with 14 strikeouts and four walks in 16 2/3 innings.

It's all but certain that Murphy and Bernardino will factor into the Red Sox's plans down the stretch. But it's realistic to think Bernardino could be the first one to pay the price for the arrival of Matz, who has only 32 appearances, but 55 innings pitched in those appearances.

The Red Sox are off on Thursday, so expect an official announcement sometime on Friday before the 7:10 p.m. series opener against the Houston Astros.