Red Sox fans might be overlooking the real reason Josh Winckowski was demoted.
On May 12, the Boston Red Sox had to make a roster move to reinstate Brayan Bello from the injured list. To many fans’ surprise, Boston optioned righty reliever Josh Winckowski to Triple-A.
Winckowski made the big-league team out of spring training and served as a reliable relief option for the Red Sox for much of the first quarter of the 2024 campaign. The righty pitched to a 3.33 ERA in 12 appearances, including three starts.
In recent games, Winckowski’s strikeout rate has decreased and he’s given up more runs. He’s allowed six earned in his last seven outings and his ERA has increased significantly during that time.
Another Red Sox arm has recently been more reliable for both short and long relief outings. That would be Cam Booser.
Booser made his MLB debut earlier this season at 31 years old. The former carpenter and youth baseball coach’s emotional road to the big leagues went viral around the time of his debut, and he’s paid the Red Sox back for their trust in the form of efficiency on the mound.
The Red Sox opted to keep Cam Booser with he big-league club over Josh Winckowski
The lefty has logged a 3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings and allowed just one run in his last seven appearances. Booser typically makes single-inning relief outings, but he’s been trusted to throw multiple innings twice, and he hasn’t disappointed.
