Boston Red Sox starters have abundance of questions
With Spring Training in full swing, the Boston Red Sox are back to work and getting ready for the 2023 season!
You have to give credit where credit is due. The Red Sox made some nice moves to the bullpen with guys like Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen. But they still have a ton of questions in the starting rotation.
Their rotation will feature a combination of: Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock, James Paxton, Corey Kluber and Tanner Houck.
While it’s good to have a lot of different options, true Red Sox fans should be concerned and have an abundance of questions.
Will Boston Red Sox starters Chris Sale, James Paxton, and Garrett Whitlock stay healthy?
The trio of Chris Sale, James Paxton, and Garrett Whitlock need to stay healthy for this Red Sox team to have a chance at being good. The question is: can they actually stay healthy?
We know that Chris Sale has had bad luck with injuries over the past few seasons. Tommy John surgery, line drives off the finger, falling off his bike and breaking his wrist; the list goes on and on. So it’s safe to be concerned that Chris Sale makes it through the month of May without getting injured!
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James Paxton didn’t pitch at all in 2022. He hasn’t really been healthy since 2019. So how much can the Red Sox rely on Paxton to give them substantial innings for a team that desperately needs them?
Garrett Whitlock has had arm troubles in the past and had some last season too. In a season where he’s transitioning to a starter, can Whitlock keep it all together and give us dominance like we saw in the 2021 season? Only time will tell.
Will Boston Red Sox starters Brayan Bello and Tanner Houck make a jump in 2023?
Two Red Sox starters that need to make big jumps in 2023 are Brayan Bello and Tanner Houck.
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Bello at times looked dominant with an explosive fastball and wipeout changeup. Now it’s about getting his other off-speed in check and giving himself a true three pitch mix. Yes, I saw the forearm soreness that sidelined him for a few days. But I’m not worried about that. What I’m worried about is if he can be productive in a full MLB season.
Then there’s Tanner Houck. First off, is he legitimately a starter or will he stay in the bullpen. We all know Alex Cora has only used Houck twice through lineups in his starts. So would he be better off as a potential middle reliever?
The bottom line with the Boston Red Sox starting pitching
Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta weren’t highlighted. Kluber will be solid as an end of the rotation arm. Pivetta is Pivetta. He’ll have his good outings and his really bad outings.
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It’s hard to be excited for a team when you legitimately don’t know who will be taking the mound every fifth day. Sure, on paper; the Red Sox have seven starters. But how many of them will actually be GOOD? How many of them will give you close to 200 innings this season?
Hoping for the best here. But this starting rotation has a lot to answer for as Spring Training continues on and the 2023 season comes right around the corner.