Boston Red Sox sending Garrett Richards to bullpen

The Boston Red Sox are finally shaking up their starting rotation. Martin Perez has already been sent to the bullpen, opening a spot for Chris Sale to join the rotation when he returns on Saturday. However, there are other issues in the rotation, and swapping Perez for Sale will not be enough to fix them.

This is something that the Red Sox have recognized as well. Beginning on Wednesday, Garrett Richards will be joining Perez in the Boston bullpen.

Boston Red Sox putting Garrett Richards in relief role

While Richards had his moments of competence, they have been few and far between. He has posted a 5.22 ERA and a 1.650 WHiP in his 110.1 innings, striking out 87 batters with 48 walks. Those numbers just are not good enough for a team with postseason aspirations.

Richards’ role is likely to evolve, depending on how well he performs. Manager Alex Cora did state that both Perez and Richards could be used in multi-inning or high leverage roles, depending on need. As Perez has seen an uptick in velocity since heading to the bullpen, the Red Sox are hoping for the same with Richards.

While Richards has experience as a reliever, he has not exactly fared well in that role. In his 68 innings over 59 games, he has posted a 4.37 ERA and a 1.441 WHiP, striking out 54 batters with 22 walks. However, given the state of the Red Sox bullpen, and Richards’ own struggles this year, the Red Sox would take that production.

Such a move would also seemingly open a spot in the rotation for Tanner Houck. He had been brought up as the 27th man in their doubleheader, but had to be sent down due to having been optioned the previous week. As the ten day minimum is coming up, Houck may finally be getting a well deserved spot in the major league rotation.

The Boston Red Sox are finally making moves with their rotation. Garrett Richards is the latest disappointment to be heading to the bullpen.