Red Sox bolster bullpen as Danny Coulombe joins club on one-year deal; Romy Gonzalez to 60-day IL

The Red Sox made a move to bolster their bullpen just weeks before the regular season begins in Cincinnati.

Boston has agreed to a one-year contract with left-hander Danny Coulombe, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. While MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported the deal is worth $1 million.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox moved infielder Romy Gonzalez to the 60-day injured list. Gonzalez is dealing with a shoulder issue and will be sidelined for at least the first two months of the season. Gonzalez had an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his shoulder, according to SoxProspects' Andrew Parker. 

Coulombe, 36, is entering his 12th major league season and is coming off a strong year in which he posted a 2.30 ERA across 43 innings in 55 appearances split between the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers. Prior to that, he enjoyed a standout two-year run in Baltimore, posting a 2.56 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 81 innings from 2023–24.

Coulombe held left-handers to a .526 OPS, while right-handers posted a .614 OPS against him. Against same-handed hitters, he leaned heavily on his cutter, consistently locating it on the glove side. The pitch generated a 52.9% chase rate and a 23.7% swinging-strike rate, according to Baseball Savant.

He paired it with a sinker that avoided hard contact when thrown for strikes. Coulombe also mixed in a four-seam fastball and a sweeper against lefties, though with limited success. Against right-handers, however, he issued walks at a 13.3% rate.

As camp and Grapefruit League play begin to wind down, the Red Sox already have several bullpen locks for Opening Day. All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, and Zack Kelly are all expected to be part of Alex Cora’s relief corps.

The addition of Coulombe doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of left-hander Jovani Morán also making the bullpen. Morán has been effective this spring but hasn’t quite looked like the pitcher he was prior to Tommy John surgery. His fastball has been sitting around 94 mph and could play well if he’s able to consistently locate it at the top of the zone.

Newcomer Tyler Samaniego, who was acquired from the Pirates in the Johan Oviedo trade, opened camp dealing with a back issue. He remains on the 40-man roster but now appears likely to begin the season with Triple-A Worcester.

Ryan Watson hasn’t pitched well this spring and faces an uncertain path. Because he was selected in the Rule 5 Draft, he must remain on the 26-man roster or be designated for assignment. Watson has appeared in seven games this spring and owns a 7.36 ERA.

Boston has had success with Rule 5 pitchers in recent years. Both Whitlock and Slaten are prime examples. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Watson features a deep arsenal that includes a four-seam fastball that reached 97 mph last season, along with a sinker, splitter, slider, and curveball.

“A deep mix, a big guy with good extension and good strike-throwing ability that should translate to success in the big leagues,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said after acquiring him.

With the addition of Coulombe, the door likely closes on a