But realistically, how long can the dream last?
2024 In One Sentence
After fighting through serious adversity, Cam Booser debuted at age 31 and helped the Red Sox bullpen, but he still hasn’t locked down a job for 2025.
The Positives
In the Major Leagues in 2024, Cam Booser actually put up a better ERA than he did at AAA Worcester (disclaimer: he only pitched 10 2⁄3 for Worcester in 2023, and struck out 19 in that time). He finished up with a 3.38 ERA, which is pretty solid, and struck out 43 in 42 2⁄3 innings (for a 23.5% strikeout rate), giving up five home runs. He proved to be a hard-thrower capable of getting outs at the big league level without allowing too many baserunners.
Also, his sweeper, the least-utilized of his three pitchers, induced a .196 batting average and a 32.6% whiff percentage. With pitching wizard (whisperer? Who knows what to call him?) Andrew Bailey at the helm, perhaps Booser sharpens his arsenal even more in 2025.
The Negatives
He walked 16, which is a bit high, and had didn’t perform well in what Fangraphs refers to as “high leverage situations.” His FIP was 7.67 in those situations, compared to 2.44 in “medium leverage” outings, and all but one of the homers he gave up came in high leverage situations. To be an effective setup man, he’s going to have to be better when it counts most.
Best Moment
His debut. This triumph was after two labrum surgeries, two broken backs, being hit by a car, and working a job in ceiling installations all culminating with him hitting 95 miles per hour on the old speedometer. Unlike his mustache, it was all connecting for him at the right place. If you want just one moment, though, here’s a swinging strikeout of a guy who is at least in the Hall of Very Good, Andrew McCutchen:
The Big Question
I mean, it’s obvious, right? How long is Booser going to be a part of the solution in 2025? Guys, if you’ve been reading my work, you know the manner of which I’ll answer this, prefaced by saying I’ve been a fan of Booser’s resolve and work in the last year. The Red Sox need to upgrade their pitching, as their bullpen was remarkably bad to end the season, when Booser saw his K rate decrease by 50% while his FIP ballooned by 50%. If the Red Sox truly want to compete, trotting Booser out as a high leverage reliever means they did not try hard enough to rectify shortcomings in the offseason, and it will be noticeable. In the meantime, Booser isn’t getting much younger. But neither is Brennan Bernardino, and neither was John Schreiber before he left to throw considerable innings in Detroit.
2025 and Beyond
Booser wasn’t supposed to even get this far. To make it to the big leagues as a solid medium-leverage option whenever a starter fails to make it through five or six innings (something that happened FAR too often to the 2024 Red Sox) is an accomplishment. Booser stayed on the roster after being called up as a result of injuries, and lasted almost the entire season on the 26-man, even with the Red Sox acquiring multiple pieces (albeit not awesome ones) at the deadline. I do believe Booser will see some innings in 2025, even if not 43 appearances, and may even still be around in 2026. If he does, I truly hope he handles each appearance with the same tenacity as he did in 2024… ideally with some more consistent results in high leverage situations.