2015 Rotation

What will the Sox starting rotation look like in 2015? That’s a difficult question. The “rehearsal group” which now consists of Clay Buchholz, Joe Kelly, Anthony Ranaudo, Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa and Brandon Workman has produced mixed results.

At this point, Buchholz, despite his maddening inconsistency, Kelly and Ranaudo seem to have the inside track. Ranaudo, who had a fine season at Pawtucket (14-4, 2.61) had a 3-1 mark as of Sunday. His 4.63 ERA is a bit high, but two of his starts have been quality ones. Kelly, obtained in the John Lackey deal, was at 1-1 with 4 QS’s in 6 starts. His hits-to innings pitched ratio is still one of the best on the team. The much-maligned Buchholz’ stats are still very poor, but he has produced three straight strong outings, including his second complete game shutout. The Sox seem to want him back.

The jury is still out on De La Rosa,who is still on the mend from TJ surgery and will be limited for the rest of the year. The same applies to Workman, who started well but never regained his form after an early-season suspension.

The consensus seems to be that the Sox need two more starters, but I would not go after Cole Hamels. Though a fine hurler with the Phils, Hamels is a notch below Jon Lester, is about the same age and comes with a big contract. For a team committed to building from the bottom up, trading a Henry Owens and other highly-rated prospects (which would probably be necessary to obtain Hamels) makes little sense. The team would be better to try to sign a mid-level guy like Justin Masterson or James Shields, though Shields would command a lot. The Sox may unload an Allen Webster, Jackie Bradley Jr or Will Middlebrooks, but these would probably not be part of a significant deal.

In the Jon Lester trade, Ben Cherington continued to stick to the “no huge money over 30” philosophy, and if this is his identity, he should stay with it. Right now, the battle to contend in 2015 should start with pitching. The hitting situation is more complex, and we will deal with it in another article.