Boston Red Sox: Pitching staff aiming for October success

The acquisition of Nathan Eovaldi filled an immediate need on Boston Red Sox pitching staff. But is that move enough to turn the tide this postseason?

Well, first let’s not pretend that Nathan Eovaldi is a panacea for the Boston Red Sox pitching staff woes in recent Octobers. He’s a strong hurler with a good pitch offering, but he is just one of four likely starters.

Likewise, while the rotation has certainly struggled in the playoffs, pitching strategy in October has vastly changed over the past few seasons. No longer are starters always needed for longer than four or five innings. No longer does the closer only come in during save situations.

In some cases, key starting pitchers during the regular season convert to the bullpen during the playoffs. This has happened in recent seasons with guys like Justin Verlander and Madison Baumgarner.

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Following the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox pitching staff did not grow considerably. Eovaldi was the only acquisition and he will in all likelihood stay a starter unless Eduardo Rodriguez comes back completely healthy.

Many believed the Red Sox would be in the market for a power bullpen piece. They were rumored to have been in the mix for Kelvin Herrera on the final day, but he ultimately stayed with Washington.

Meanwhile, all of the Red Sox direct competitors in the American League added arms. Most notably, Zach Britton to the Yankees and Brad Hand to the Cleveland Indians. Similarly, Roberto Osuna went to Houston and Jeurys Familia went to Oakland.

What will the Red Sox pitching staff look like?

So as the season starts to wane and it becomes even more clear that the Red Sox are destined for October, many fans are wondering what the rotation and bullpen will look like come playoff time.

If fully healthy, Chris Sale and Rick Porcello will definitely be starters. Some think David Price or Rodriguez could get moved to the bullpen, as with Nathan Eovaldi. Drew Pomeranz or Steven Wright may be on the bubble for the playoff roster at the rate they’re going.

But even though the situation among the starters is fluid, the bullpen situation is even more dynamic.

Outside of Craig Kimbrel, none of the relief pitchers has nailed down a solidified role. Tyler Thornburg seems to be the leading candidate for the eighth inning role. That would leave Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, and Heath Hembree for the sixth and seventh. But, as I said, the whole picture can change in October.

Road games in Houston or New York could be very high leverage, so it will ultimately depend on who they believe can handle those situations best. There’s still time for them to prove their worth, but the real test will come in eight weeks.

For now, I’m still cautiously optimistic.