For a team that has compiled one of the worst records in either league and sits, however uncomfortably, in last place in its own division, there have been surprisingly few repercussions.
Despite massive under-performance by a few regulars in the lineup, no established veterans have lost their jobs or had their roles re-defined. Bobby Dalbec has seen playing time greatly reduced in the last week, now that Franchy Cordero offers an alternative, but a number of other struggling stars have been shown incredible patience.
That's understandable, to a degree. Players like Kike Hernandez and Trevor Story, as bad as they've been, at least have a track record of success, so the Sox have essentially convinced themselves it's better to trust history than it is to overreact based on a little more than five weeks of subpar play. The Sox just committed six years to Story, so patience is necessary with him. As for Hernandez, he was the team's most dynamic offensive player in the second half and especially in the postseason, so they're willing to wait for things to turn around.
But the bullpen is a different story.
By their very nature, relievers tend to be unpredictable -- dependable one year, and anything but the next. It's why giving out multi-year deals to bullpen guys is a risky practice, and if you'd like an obvious example, we'll point to you in the general direction of Matt Barnes.
A certain amount of fluctuation is to be expected, and even tolerated. Like the weather in New England, if you don't like how a veteran reliever is throwing ... just wait a minute.
But perhaps it's time for the Red Sox to re-examine their usage of Ryan Brasier.
The Sox lost two games on this trip, and Brasier was directly responsible for both defeats. He was the losing pitcher last Wednesday night in Atlanta when he allowed a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to Orlando Arcia. And Sunday, pitching in a 1-1 game in the sixth inning, Brasier was twice victimized by the long ball -- a three-run shot by Adolis Garcia and a follow-up solo shot by Kole Calhoun.
The shots came in the span of three pitches. One moment, Brasier was two strikes away from getting out of a two-on, two-out mess, and the next, he and the Red Sox were suddenly down by four runs, never to recover in a 7-1 loss.
For the season, Brasier's ERA sits at 6.57. It's sometimes the case that reliever's numbers can be skewed by a couple of bad innings -- as Brasier has experienced this week -- but the underlying numbers aren't any better.
Brasier's ranks in the bottom two percent of all major league pitchers when it comes to average exit velocity and in the bottom one percent on hard-hit percentage.
He's also in the bottom five percent when it comes to expected batting average and expected slugging percentage, confirming that, no, he has not been the victim of bad luck. And when it comes to having his pitches barreled up, he's in the bottom seven percent, according to StatCast.
His exit velocity allowed of 94.2 mph is the highest of his career. When hitters swing at his fastball, which Brasier on Sunday described as the pitch he "lives and dies with,'' their batting average is .435. He's averaging almost 95 mph with his four-seamer, so it isn't that it lacks velocity. Rather, it's about where he's locating it.
Like almost everyone else since the launch angle fad hit the game a few years back, Brasier aims to work the fastball at the top of the strike zone, while offering hitters a contrasting slider at the bottom of the zone. But too often, Brasier has thrown his fastball down in the zone, making it an inviting target and far easier to belt.
Based on his usage patterns, it would seem that Cora is hoping -- perhaps against hope -- that Brasier can rediscover his command and become an effective late-inning weapon again. The Sox lack a lot of other righthanded options in high-leverage spots. Barnes, though he was sharp Saturday night, is clearly not as trustworthy as he was in the first half of last season, and may never be again.
All of which makes it all the more strange that Chaim Bloom didn't find an established late-inning righty this past winter. The two relievers he signed -- Matt Strahm and Jake Diekman -- were both lefties who have a history of being able to get out righties, but there are times when you want a righthander for such spots.
Adam Ottavino, until he tired in September, was that guy a year ago. There is no such candidate on the current staff.
Brasier has minor league options left. Perhaps some time at Worcester would allow him to rediscover his command and fix whatever is wrong with his fastball location. And while he's there, maybe the Sox could instead take a look at either Connor Seabold -- who's on the 40-man roster already -- or Josh Winckowski - who isn't -- in that role.
Seabold and Winckowski are, long-term, prospective rotation pieces. But it might not be the worst thing to have them begin to contribute where there's a more urgent need.
Before they play themselves out of the season altogether, the Red Sox need an answer in the bullpen. And what's patently obvious, especially after the past week, is that Brasier isn't it.