The Boston Red Sox have reportedly reached an agreement to hire Chris Holt as their new bullpen coach, as reported by MASN’s Roch Kubatko on Wednesday. The deal is expected to be finalized next week.
Holt previously served as the Baltimore Orioles’ pitching coach from 2021 to 2023 and also held the position of director of pitching. However, after the Orioles replaced him with Atlanta Braves bullpen coach Drew French at the end of the last season, Holt was let go in October. This move opened the door for Holt to join a new team, and he ultimately ended up with the Red Sox, a division rival.
The Red Sox’s Chief Baseball Officer, Craig Breslow, who took over last fall, dismissed the team’s previous bullpen coach, Kevin Walker, in October. Holt, 45, will now work under pitching director Justin Willard and pitching coach Andrew Bailey. He will be responsible for improving a bullpen that ranked 24th in MLB with a 4.39 ERA in 2024. With closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Chris Martin entering free agency, and Liam Hendriks set to debut in 2025 after Tommy John surgery, Holt faces the challenge of stabilizing Boston’s bullpen.
