The Boston Red Sox have a plethora of starting pitchers on their 40-man roster, so will that play a key role in the development of the younger pitchers?
The Boston Red Sox possess a trio of young, impressive starting pitchers – Eduardo Rodriguez, Henry Owens, and Brian Johnson. However, as the team is currently constructed, the Boston Red Sox have a plethora of starting pitchers fighting for a spot in the rotation. Currently, it looks like only one youngster will be awarded a starting rotation spot, leaving two coming out of the bullpen. So, will this starting pitching logjam affect how the younger pitchers develop?
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This offseason, the Boston Red Sox shipped Wade Miley to the Seattle Mariners, and the team signed free agent David Price to a multi-year and highly-lucrative deal. With the addition of Price and the departure of Miley, the Red Sox, essentially swapped the two in the rotation. However, what does the Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation look behind David Price? Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, and Joe Kelly figure to land a starting rotation spot out of Spring Training.
Although Rick Porcello should probably pitch out of the bullpen, the Boston Red Sox have too much invested in him for him to pitch out of the bullpen. Rick Porcello has one of the most unsightly contracts in baseball, and the Boston Red Sox hope he figures it out in 2016. In addition to Porcello, Joe Kelly had a down first-half to the 2015 season; however, during the stretch-run of the season, Kelly found his form and ended the season on a high note (despite injury).
As for now, David Price and Clay Buchholz are the only two pitchers guaranteed to start the 2016 season in the starting rotation. But, it is safe to assume that Porcello and Kelly each land a spot in the Boston Red Sox’s rotation. With those assumptions, the Boston Red Sox plan for Rodriguez, Owens, and Johnson to fight it out for the final starting rotation spot. With Eduardo Rodriquez’s season last year, he looks like a front-runner for the final spot in 2016.
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In Rick Porcello’s first season with the Boston Red Sox, he owned a 9-15 record, 4.92 ERA, 4.13 FIP, and an 87 ERA+. In short, Porcello’s first season as a member of the Boston Red Sox was a complete nightmare. However, Joe Kelly’s first-half woes kept Porcello’s struggles out of the limelight. If it were not for a solid second-half, Kelly and Porcello were battling it out for the worst starting pitcher on the roster.
Despite a strong finish to the 2015 season, Joe Kelly’s numbers still illustrated a frustrating season for he and Red Sox fan alike. Heading into August of 2015, Joe Kelly owned a 6.11 ERA, and many believed he was on his way out of Boston. However, Kelly lowered his ERA from 6.11 to 4.82 over the last five weeks of the season. Many believe that because Joe Kelly found his rhythm at season’s end, he will start the 2016 season in the rotation.
For the most part, Eduardo Rodriguez logged in a full season for the Boston Red Sox, and he did well in his rookie season, posting a 3.85 ERA, 3.92 FIP, and a 112 ERA+. Rodriguez out-performed Owens and Johnson in the trio’s first professional season, with Owens owning a 4.57 ERA in 11 starts. Notably, Brian Johnson only made one start on the season, giving up four earned runs in just 4.1 innings pitched, resulting in an 8.91 ERA.
BoSox Injection
Eduardo Rodriguez, likely, leads the pack for a starting rotation spot, but some concerns linger whether or not the young left-handed pitcher will be ready for Opening Day. Recently, Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell stated that he believed Rodriguez would be ready for the start of the season. But on another not, Farrell also stated how impressed he was with Henry Owens’ Spring Training debut, stating that he had good mound presence and command.
With the duo of Rodriguez and Owens, Brian Johnson’s chances at making the starting rotation seem improbable. Also, with a slew of capable starting pitchers, the younger lads on the Boston Red Sox will probably have to take a back seat. If the Red Sox were more concerned about developing their younger arms, Porcello and Kelly would land in the bullpen, with the trio of young, projectable arms making the starting rotation.
The Boston Red Sox want to compete now, but do Joe Kelly and Rick Porcello offer the tools needed to reach the end-goal, which is a playoff berth. By the end of 2016, the Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation might look very different from their Opening Day rotation. Boston’s success hinges on whether or not the starting rotation can find consistency and balance. While prospects, generally, offer little consistency, the Boston Red Sox’s pitching prospects are highly-touted and deserve a chance.
Next: Grading on the Curve: Projecting Each MLB Starting Rotation
The Boston Red Sox want to win, and that implies they will lean on their veteran starting pitchers. By doing so, the Boston Red Sox might have to delay their pitching prospects’ development in the process. The Boston Red Sox have a chance to compete in the star-studded A.L. East, but their pitching will need to take a giant leap forward in 2016. Can the Red Sox’s pitching do it? Maybe.