But so far there has been no action.
“We’re pretty focused on the bullpen at this point. It’s the one area of the club that’s not really set yet,’’ Epstein said.
Sox relievers had a 4.24 earned run average last season. Among the 14 teams in the American League, only the lowly Orioles (4.44) and Royals (4.46) were worse.
The Boston bullpen was second in the league with 22 blown saves and led the league by giving up 63 home runs. Sox relievers averaged only 7.55 strikeouts per nine innings, just above the league average.
“I think the bullpen is important. We probably lost some games there last year that hurt us,’’ manager Terry Francona said last week during the winter meetings. “That’s a hard way to lose games, especially when you want to be a good team. When you lose games late, you feel like the next day you have to come back and win another one just to catch up; it’s a tough way to play.’’
The Sox have identified at least five free agents as possible fits. Righthanders Jesse Crain, Kevin Gregg, and Matt Guerrier are possibilities along with lefthanders Brian Fuentes and Andrew Miller.
The Sox have had offers out on some of those players for several weeks now. Major league sources said the durable Guerrier is one player the Sox especially covet.
Guerrier, 32, has appeared in at least 70 games in each of the last four seasons for the Twins. His WHIP the last two seasons is 1.04.
“We still have some room to do some things,’’ Epstein said.
Epstein does not discuss payroll space. But based on last season and those players acquired and discarded so far this winter, the Sox have approximately $11 million remaining to flush out the roster.
Under Epstein’s stewardship as GM, the Sox have tried to avoid giving out multi-year contracts to middle relievers, knowing such deals rarely prove worthwhile given the inherent inconsistency of such pitchers.
But Epstein said last week that he had “come to grips’’ with the idea that it would take such a contract given the active market for relievers. Lefthander Scott Downs, for instance, received three years and $15 million from the Angels Friday.
