I think if this team makes the playoffs, the bullpen should be ok, bolstered by the rotation like last year. But man, getting there looks like a daunting task at this point. I know losing the last two to Toronto just seemed to suck the life out of this place, but the Sox are on a positive trajectory.
13-17 (.433) in March/April
16-11 (.593) in May
13-9 (.590) in June so far
.590 pace is 96 wins over a full season. If they play at a .590 pace the rest of the way, they'll end up with 91 wins, which is gonna be close for a playoff spot. I think they need to pick it up a little and get to 93 wins or so. Totally doable.
But the bullpen is on fumes. And it's not like they have quality arms in AAA they can roll out. They've rolled out their AAA arms and frankly, they're not that good.
Barnes' first 18 games: 1.42 era, 0.74 whip, 16.6 k/9
Barnes' last 16 games: 7.07 era, 1.86 whip, 15.4 k/9
Walden's first 16 games: 1.37 era, 0.68 whip, 10.3 k/9
Walden's last 14 games: 4.80 era, 1.53 whip, 9.6 k/9
Workman's first 20 games: 1.50 era, 0.88 whip, 12.5 k/9
Workman's last 18 games: 2.04 era, 1.19 whip, 12.7 k/9 (still excellent, obviously, but not quite as good as before)
Brasier's first 14 games: 1.32 era, 0.80 whip, 7.9 k/9
Brasier's last 21 games: 5.09 era, 1.36 whip, 8.2 k/9 (though better his last 4 games)
On the flip side, a couple of guys who got off to rough starts have been much better:
Hembree's first 11 games: 5.56 era, 1.59 whip, 7.9 k/9
Hembree's last 20 games: 0.52 era, 0.81 whip, 13.0 k/9 (been hurt since June 11)
Brewer's first 10 games: 8.31 era, 2.08 whip, 11.4 k/9
Brewer's last 20 games: 2.92 era, 1.58 whip, 7.3 k/9
But it's clear they need another very good arm or two, in order to get through the regular season and into the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, they won't be using the Josh Smith's of the world and can focus on only the guys performing well.