Hot Stove Lunch: Putting Joe Kelly in perspective; Rays keep improving

The loss of free agent reliever Joe Kelly was, for some, the first Red Sox loss of 2018-19.

Kelly's brilliance in the postseason was a key to the Red Sox magical October run. He pitched in every one of the five World Series games and didn't allow a run, and was generally dominant for the entire month.

And Kelly's invitation to fight Tyler Austin earned him cult hero status with the fan base.

But what, exactly, did the Red Sox lose with Kelly's departure?

In a season in which he allowed a grand total of one run for the entire months of April and May, he still managed to finish the season with an ERA of 4.39. And while it's true that ERA can be a misleading indication of a reliever's overall effectiveness -- a rough outing or two can make that number skyrocket -- in this case, it's a reminder that Kelly was known for his inconsistency.

After parts of seven seasons in the big leagues, Kelly's career WHIP is 1.385 and his ERA+ is 106, meaning he's been six percent better than the average major league pitcher.

He had three months during 2018 when his ERA was over 8.00 ... and three others that were under 1.42. But overall, he had a 4.31 ERA before the All-Star break and a 4.50 after. And remember: this was supposed to be, at age 30, his breakout season.

Kelly was always a bundle of contradictions: How could someone capable of throwing 102 mph have such difficulty putting hitters away? Why did he stubbornly refuse to vary his pitch mix more?

None of this is to suggest that Kelly wasn't a big reason why the Red Sox won it all in 2018. He was immense in the ALDS, ALCS and World Series and there's a case to be made that the Sox could have easily tripped up in one of those showdowns without his contributions from the bullpen.

But with the Red Sox careful with their remaining resources, it's not hard to see why they weren't motivated to not match the Dodgers' offer of three years and $25 million.

My guess is that Kelly will continue to a dominant major league reliever ... at times. And at others, he'll be maddeningly inconsistent, walk too many hitters and generally frustrate his new team. Frankly, that's the nature of a lot of major league relievers, many of whom -- like Kelly -- find it difficult to achieve consistency.

Elsewhere...

AL EAST

The Yankees are still trying to find a taker for Sonny Gray 

The Orioles didn't make a big splash at the winter meetings.

A look at the trade for Yandy Diaz by the Rays.

A pick in the Rule 5 draft left the Blue Jays excited.

AL CENTRAL

Breaking down the Indians' three-team trade which had them reacquire Carlos Santana.

The Twins didn't achieve a lot at the winter meetings.

The Tigers took a chance on a hard-throwing reliever in the Rule 5 draft.

There's still a lot on the to-do list for the White Sox.

The Royals have more work to do this winter.

AL WEST 

The Winter Meetings were quiet for the Astros, but that could be about to change.

In the market for a catcher, the Angels are focused on Wilson Ramos.

Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto had a health scare, but that didn't stop him from making a deal.

Where the Rangers stand after the meetings.

NATIONAL LEAGUE 

Old friend Dave Magadan was hired as the Rockies' hitting coach