Red Sox Roster Decisions: Who Are Final Relievers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By TJ French | Last updated Mar 26, 2025 1:00 PM ET

MLB's Opening Day is just one day away, and the process for teams like the Boston Red Sox to finalize their roster is in full swing. All MLB organizations have until tomorrow at noon ET to make the final cuts, and Boston will match up against the Texas Rangers at 4:05 p.m.

For the most part, there is a consensus on who will be the Red Sox's starting position players with all the infield and outfield spots locked up, and the starting rotation has also been fully announced. This leaves just the bullpen and potential bench options for Boston to figure out.

Ian Browne of MLB.com reports that Brennan Bernardino will take the last reliever spot on the team, giving Boston three southpaw bullpen options in addition to Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson.

Bernardino has been with Boston for each of the last two seasons, and in 2024, he recorded a 4.06 ERA over 51 innings pitched.

It's unclear what type of role Bernardino will have this season. He did record 14 holds for Boston last year, and his role could be similar in 2025 as manager Alex Cora will elect to use him in certain situations, likely facing opponents' top lefty hitters.

With the recent announcement, Boston's bullpen is pretty much set. Along with the three southpaws mentioned, the right-handers include Liam Hendriks, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Zack Kelly, Greg Weissert, and potentially Cooper Criswell.

The first five of those names have already been confirmed, but it will be up to the Red Sox management on how many relievers they want to bring on, and what they want to do with Criswell, who did start 18 games for the team in 2024.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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