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FORT MYERS, Fla. - There are holes to fill. The Red Sox know this. It's why there was a new guy suddenly playing catch outside JetBlue Park while waiting on the doorstep of agreeing to a new contract.
The appearance of Danny Coulombe spoke volumes.
The Red Sox needed a lefty reliever who has proven to get major league outs, and they got one in the 36-year-old Coulombe, who officially signed a one-year, $1 million deal early in the evening Thursday.
Coulombe, who is in his eighth organization, is coming off a 2025 in which he split time between Texas and Minnesota, having combined to appear in 55 games. Before being dealt at the trade deadline last summer, the southpaw had dominated for the Twins, totaling a 1.16 ERA in 40 outings. In his 15 games with the Ranges, however, he struggled in his 12 innings, giving up 11 hits, nine walks and seven runs.
The previous two seasons, Coulombe served as a reliable lefty relief option for the Orioles, finishing with a FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) of 2.83 in each year.
The fit is a logical one for the Red Sox, whose only lefty slated to make the Opening Day roster after closer Aroldis Chapman is Jovani Moran, who is currently still pitching in the World Baseball Classic for Team Puerto Rico.
Heading into the final two weeks of spring training it would seem the bullpen has one spot to fill, with Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, Zack Kelly, Moran and Coulombe seemingly locked in.
Some of the candidates vying for the final spot include veterans non-roster invitees Kyle Keller, Tayron Guerrero, Seth Martinez and Noah Song, along with Tyler Samaniego, a lefty who is on the 40-man roster and came over in the trade for Johan Oviedo. Rule 5 pick Ryan Watson would currently seem to be somewhat of longshot to make the club.
Samaniego, who doesn't have any major league experience, could have the upper-hand considering he is on the 40-man roster and has performed decently throughout spring training.
Martinez is just two seasons removed from being a stalwart in the Astros' bullpen, totaling a 3.59 ERA in 44 appearances. The 35-year-old Guerrero has offered intrigue because of a fastball that sits at over 100 mph. Keller has revitalized his career over the last four seasons in Japan, and has shown flashes throughout the past month. And while starting a bit slow, Song has started to open eyes in the last couple of weeks with some velocity gain and an effective slider.
To make room for Coulombe on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox placed Romy Gonzalez on the 60-day injured list. Gonzalez underwent left shoulder arthroscopic debridement, performed by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas in Alabama Thursday.