Before the Orioles resided in the basement of the AL East with a sub-30 win record they were a worthy middle-to-top-of-the-pack adversary for the Red Sox just a few years ago. The team had a 81-81 record (good for third place in the division) in 2015 and an 89-73 record (second place in the division) in 2016. A large contributor to the Orioles success during that time had been the effectiveness of their seven through nine inning bullpen combo known throughout both Baltimore and the baseball community as B.O.B. The acronym was a nickname for Buck Showalter’s late game bullpen rotation of Brad Brach, Darren O’Day, and Zach Britton.
Now, with the Orioles sputtering, Brach and Britton are on the trade market. O’Day is no longer with the Orioles, but Brach and Britton remain available for the Red Sox to call about.
Here is a brief summary and comparison of the two pitchers heading into the three-game set in Baltimore beginning Monday night.
Brad Brach | 2018 stats: 41 games, 38 innings pitched, 1-2 record, 4.97 ERA, 10 saves, 38 strikeouts, 1.74 WHIP | Career ERA: 3.17 | Fenway Park ERA (2015-17): 0.96
When looking at the 2018 stats alone, it can be presumed the Red Sox would likely call about Britton before bringing up Brach. Brach has a 4.67 ERA over his last 30 games (27 innings) and a 12.71 ERA over his last seven. But if the asking price for Britton is too high, and the Red Sox are not satisfied about the negotiations regarding other teams’ bullpen arms, Brach’s past season stats can prove him as a worthy plan B option. The righty has a career ERA slightly lower than Britton at 3.17. His past three seasons prior to 2018, stack up as follows:
-- 2015: 79 1/3 innings pitched, 89 strikeouts, 2.72 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, .203 opponent average
-- 2016: 79 innings pitched, 92 strikeouts, 2.05 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .201 opponent average
-- 2017: 68 innings pitched (18 saves), 70 strikeouts, 3.18 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, .208 opponent average
The previous three years show an arm the Red Sox could stick behind Craig Kimbrel. But if the team does end up trading for Brach, it would be banking largely on past success.
Zach Britton | 2018 stats: 16 games, 14 2/3 innings pitched, 1-0 record, 3.45 ERA, four saves, 13 strikeouts, 1.34 WHIP | Career ERA: 3.22 | Fenway Park ERA (2015-17): 1.64
Since he is coming off a 60-day DL stint (rehabbing an Achilles injury) that delayed his season until June, Britton has a much smaller 2018 sample size than Brach. His 3.45 ERA surpasses his 3.22 career ERA average, but that has been in a span of only 16 games, and the lefty hasn’t given up any runs in his last seven. Trading for Britton would be more so related to his career resume, as h e is a two-time All-Star closer.
The 30-year-old also made a push for the Cy Young award in 2016, when he finished the year a perfect 47-for-47 in save opportunities with a 0.54 ERA. The Red Sox are in search for a reliable eighth inning bridge to Kimbrel. If the team can land Britton, it can potentially run with a two-headed monster eighth and ninth inning combo of All-Star closers.