If the Boston Red Sox had a less productive starting rotation before the All-Star break this past season, they might’ve been a t-ball one… and I don’t think I need to state the obvious there.
The 4.44 mark set in the first half by Boston’s staff was the worst in the American League. Their 4.21 in the second half was only a marginal improvement, with the rotation’s season mark coming in at 4.39. Only two regular starters finished the year with a sub-4.00 mark. Opponents hit .264 against the Red Sox rotation and though they only threw the sixth most innings in the AL, they threw the third most amount of pitches. It was a laborious year in Beantown.
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One can be sure the Red Sox will be heavily involved in offseason processes to acquire an ace. It might come through free agency, but their No. 1 guy could be landed via a trade as well. With Ben Cherington out and Dave Dombrowski in as operations kingpin, Boston is said to be more open to dealing top prospects to secure an ace for 2016 and beyond according to Jon Heyman, MLB’s insider over at CBS Sports.
From 2002 to 2015, Dombrowski sent a number of top prospects packing. In 2007 the Tigers said goodbye to names like Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller in order to acquire Miguel Cabrera. Then in 2012, Dombrowski again used the Marlins as a trading partner and dealt away 2009’s first round pick Jacob Turner to acquire Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante.
Cherington gambled with his approach last season and it ultimately cost him his job. He was unable to bring back fan favorite Jon Lester or sign another front-end arm. Instead, he brought aboard a couple middle of the rotation guys like Rick Porcello (9-15, 4.92) and Wade Miley (11-11, 4.46). Because it backfired on him, you can bet Dombrowski will not embrace a similar strategy.
Boston has to move some bodies around this season to decrease payroll and remedy positions clustered with a number of names, primarily the outfield. Yoan Moncada is the top prospect in the system and with the way the Red Sox have contracts lined up right now in the infield, there’s little room for the young Cuban’s promotion even in a few years time.
Pitcher Henry Owens, who saw action in 2015, could be a chip Dombrowksi uses in a package to go out and get his 200 inning workhorse that can push for 20 wins. Owens was a top prospect entering 2014 and he managed a few strong outings out of 11 in 2015.
A move seems ever more imminent when Clay Buchholz is considered the most reliable starter in the Boston Red Sox’s current rotation. The fragile right-hander compiled a lowly 113.1 innings in 2015. Only three times in his career since 2007 has he logged more than 170 innings in a year and never once has he reached the 200 IP benchmark.