The blockbuster trade has been made, but as we have seen on this West Coast trip, a lot of hard work lies ahead before the Sox can be contenders again. It begins with starting pitching. It’s no coincidence that Felix Doubront was the first home-grown product since 2007 to become even a moderately successful starter. Two serious disappointments were Justin Masterson, now with the Indians, and Michael Bowden, now with the Cubs. Both were projected as starters, and both have failed. Masterson had one good year in Cleveland, but his record for the lowly Indians is 29-42 with a 4.23 ERA. Bowden has bounced to Chicago where he is still a mopup man giving up over 5 earned runs a game. Something has been seriously wrong with pitcher development, and that has a lot to do with the team’s descent into mediocrity.
While his ’12 stats are only average, Doubront impresses me as a contender to build the 2013 rotation around. The 24-year-old southpaw from Venezuela has been called upon several times to be a stopper this year, as losing streaks became common. He started off well, with a 5-2 mark in his first 10 starts, including 6 innings of no-hit ball against the Marlins. He had faded since then, perhaps from the pressure of being on such a chaotic staff; he is now on his third pitching coach in three years. His ERA has ballooned, but it is no worse than that of Jon Lester and the now-departed Josh Beckett. Like many of his teammates, he has spent time on the DL. He appears to be a tough competitor, and has not been known to whine. Doubront also has fine minor league credentials, including 8 awards, including several all-star selections.
At present, the Sox seem to be auditioning members of the 2013 starting staff. After Lester, Doubront and Clay Buchholz, the other two spots are wide open. At this point, Franklin Morales, Aaron Cook, Zach Stewart. and even Daisuke and John Lester are possibilities, although the last two may be gone by next spring. Rubby De La Rosa may also be in the mix.
One more thing- I feel bad for Bobby V. He thought he was getting a veteran squad that would contend for at least a wild card spot. Now he is stuck with a team deep in a rebuilding mode, He must feel like he aged five years in this one sad season. But if a change is made, it should be someone like John Farrell, who knows what he is getting into.
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