Red Sox manager on rotation: 'There are All-Star-caliber arms there'
Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell believes there's a lot to like about his rotation despite an underwhelming spring.
"The thing that stands out to me is we will send a proven Major League pitcher to the mound every single night, one with a track record - and in multiple cases, guys that have made All-Star teams at the Major League level," Farrell told Ian Browne of MLB.com.
"We know that there are a couple of bounceback situations - Justin Masterson, for one; Clay Buchholz, coming back from some injuries from 2013 that kind of plagued him somewhat in 2014. There are All-Star-caliber arms there. We've got a couple of guys that are coming over from the National League on a full-time basis in Wade Miley and Joe Kelly."
Rick Porcello has been the Red Sox's best starter this spring, though the sample size remains small. The trio of Masterson, Buchholz and Miley have been average, while Kelly has not pitched since mid-March due to biceps tightness.
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | SO-BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porcello | 10 | 2.70 | 1.30 | 8-3 |
| Masterson | 18 | 3.50 | 1.28 | 9-6 |
| Buchholz | 15 | 3.60 | 1.60 | 18-3 |
| Miley | 17 | 3.71 | 1.35 | 11-8 |
| Kelly | 7.1 | 11.05 | 2.45 | 8-1 |
Armed with one of the best offense's in baseball, Boston's strength will be found in scoring runs and Farrell believes that his team will have a strong chance this season should the rotation stay healthy.
"Innings will be the biggest thing," Farrell said. "If we can get four guys that are going to give us close to 200 innings pitched throughout the course of the year, I think that really sets us up to have a solid rotation."
Porcello and Miley were the only two of the five to reach the 200-inning plateau last season.