(Photo courtesy of the AP)
by Dakota Antelman
Immediately after Jon Lester alerted the Red Sox of his decision not to sign the contract they offered him, the team moved on to other options. Within 36 hours of that call they had completely reworked their pitching staff, adding multiple starters and thinning out their bull pen.
In the final days of this week’s baseball Winter Meetings, Boston traded Yoenis Cespedes to the Tigers in exchange for Rick Porcello. They soon after signed free agent pitcher Justin Masterson to a one year $9.5M deal and, late Friday night, completed a trade with the Diamond Backs that shipped Wade Miley to Boston in exchange for Ruby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and a minor leaguer with single-A Lowell named Raymel Flores.
"We've been able to acquire the three starters that we have this week while still maintaining what we consider the top end of our young pitching, and still have what we think is really good, young pitching depth beyond the five guys that will likely begin the season in the rotation,” said Red Sox GM Ben Cherrington.
The team was aware of the need to remedy the inconsistency and detrimentally fluid nature of their pitching order going into this offseason. The additions made this week reflect a desire to do just that.
But as it stands, there remain quite a few discrepancies between this staff and an ideal one. Namely, despite their depth, the staff made up of Clay Buchholz, Joe Kelly, Porcello, Masterson and Miley has no clear ace.
Cherrington however does not see that as a problem.
“Once Opening Day is gone the whole No. 1 starter thing kind of is overrated," he said. "Whoever takes the ball that night, it's his responsibility to help us win and pitch every five days, so the order really doesn't mean as much once you get past Opening Day. We feel like we have a rotation now that can help us win every game."
Of the current pitchers, one thing that does seem certain is that, at least for the first few games, Masterson will likely sit towards the bottom of the pitching order. He had the worst statistical season last year of the recent newcomers and has shown a propensity in recent years to go down early with nagging injuries.
On the other end of the spectrum, Porcello could very well become a favorite of his coaches as, since joining the league in 2009, he has averaged nearly 6 innings of play per start.
Drawing out long starts has been a quality that the Red Sox have openly looked for in their pitchers this offseason. Porcello’s ability to play Lester like innings bodes well for him especially within the Red Sox system. Even former pitching coach and current manager John Farrell commented on the value of a 200 inning pitcher like Porcello.
“Ideally, if you can get a couple of 200-inning pitchers -- they don’t grow on trees, but that’s the goal,” Farrell said generally on the subject of pitching depth.
As the 2015 Red Sox roster begins to take shape, the pitching staff folds and molds into what the fan base and the coaches alike all want it to become. Depth is a necessity but at the same time, practicality is crucial. Jon Lester did not return to Boston because $155M was not a practical salary for Boston to give him. Max Scherzer will likely not come to Boston for similar reasons.
But that is not to say that depth cannot be built in other ways. The Red Sox have boosted their pitching staff with veteran talent that promises to compliment the young arms they have maturing down in Pawtucket. That makes them attractive to free agents young and old. Furthermore, the surplus of hitters and outfielders that they have gives the Sox plenty of shots in the trade market. They might soon attempt to track down guys like Phillies ace Cole Hammels, former Red Sox prospect Anibel Sanchez, or Reds star Johnny Cueto.
“There are some quality options that still remain on the pitching market,” Farrell said. “Ben’s working hard to build out a pitching staff that’s going to put us in a position to contend next year. We firmly believe that will take place.”
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