Ex-Red Sox Reliever Joins NL Team After Brief Stint With Boston

The Boston Red Sox acquired Lucas Sims amid last season’s MLB trade deadline period, but the club didn’t retain the veteran relief pitcher this offseason.

Sims instead signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals, according to MLB.com’s transactions, on Wednesday. The 31-year-old made a combined 58 relief appearances for the Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds — where Sims spent seven years — recording a 4.38 ERA across 49 1/3 innings pitched. Sims was expected to bolster Boston’s bullpen upon joining the Red Sox, but things turned south.

The right-hander failed to deliver when called upon. During just his fourth appearance with the Red Sox, Sims allowed four earned runs and recorded just one out. By the time Sims was done taking the mound in late-game situations for Boston, there wasn’t a reason to bring him back for 2025. Sims pitched to a 6.43 ERA with the Red Sox, allowing 10 earned runs across 11 innings thrown. Long story, short, Boston didn’t receive the production initially envisioned when the team acquired Sims in July.

Plus, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow improved the team’s bullpen despite its notable losses — Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen — to ensure relief pitching wouldn’t be an issue this upcoming season. Boston signed future Hall of Fame flamethrower Aroldis Chapman along with fellow southpaw reliever Justin Wilson and allowed Garrett Whitlock to rejoin the bullpen after years of pitching out of the rotation.

That left no room or incentive to bring Sims back for a re-run, or in Sims’ case, a redemption run with the Red Sox.

Sims, now seeking a bounce-back campaign, will join a Washington bullpen that struggled last season. The Nationals recorded the fifth-highest bullpen ERA (4.14) among all teams in the National League, before finishing the season at 71-97 and missing postseason contention.