Is the actual rotation the worst in the last 10 Y?

[Spitball]

I think Porcello for Cespedes is a head scratcher until you realize the times are changing. During the steroid era, pitching was a scarce and precious commodity. Today, power hitting is the scarce commodity. This year's major league .700 OPS is the lowest since 1992. During the steroid enhanced era from 1996 to 2006, the majors OPSed .762.

Cespedes is a rarity today because he has power. There have not been many power hitters available this winter.

[a700hitter]

I think Porcello for Cespedes is a head scratcher until you realize the times are changing. During the steroid era, pitching was a scarce and precious commodity. Today, power hitting is the scarce commodity. This year's major league .700 OPS is the lowest since 1992. During the steroid enhanced era from 1996 to 2006, the majors OPSed .762.

Cespedes is a rarity today because he has power. There have not been many power hitters available this winter.

Good point. Power is becoming a rare commodity.

[cp176]

I think Porcello for Cespedes is a head scratcher until you realize the times are changing. During the steroid era, pitching was a scarce and precious commodity. Today, power hitting is the scarce commodity. This year's major league .700 OPS is the lowest since 1992. During the steroid enhanced era from 1996 to 2006, the majors OPSed .762.

Cespedes is a rarity today because he has power. There have not been many power hitters available this winter.

Very true. That being the case, looks like the Sox still have some trade chips there.

[Palodios]

I think Porcello for Cespedes is a head scratcher until you realize the times are changing. During the steroid era, pitching was a scarce and precious commodity. Today, power hitting is the scarce commodity. This year's major league .700 OPS is the lowest since 1992. During the steroid enhanced era from 1996 to 2006, the majors OPSed .762.

Cespedes is a rarity today because he has power. There have not been many power hitters available this winter.

This point came up a few times when discussing who Cespedes would pull back in trade talks. Surprisingly, there have been several quality bats available this offseason -- Nelson Cruz, Hanley, Donaldson, Justin Upton, Vmart, Cespedes, Kemp, Pablo, Ethier, Myers. That seems like a respectable group.

[Spitball]

Would those guys have been considered home run hitters ten years ago?

[vjcsmoke]

I guess trading a young power hitter for a projected #3 pitcher is considered a good deal because Cespedes only had 1 year left on his contract. But I would normally have preferred to keep the everyday player unless we could have packaged him to get a better pitcher. In the end we took what the market gave.

The rotation has a lot of questionmarks. Who can emerge to be the #1 guy? A huge question. I don't know if we even plan to address that issue before the season starts but right now we have no ace on the squad. Maybe Cherington is praying/hoping that Buchholz has a good year? He's either really really good or really really awful.

[cp176]

I guess trading a young power hitter for a projected #3 pitcher is considered a good deal because Cespedes only had 1 year left on his contract. But I would normally have preferred to keep the everyday player unless we could have packaged him to get a better pitcher. In the end we took what the market gave.

The rotation has a lot of questionmarks. Who can emerge to be the #1 guy? A huge question. I don't know if we even plan to address that issue before the season starts but right now we have no ace on the squad. Maybe Cherington is praying/hoping that Buchholz has a good year? He's either really really good or really really awful.

I am thinking that Porcello is free after next year as well. I have no idea what Detroit was thinking or if they know something that we don't. Porcello had a very good year last year - once again last year. He is young and hopefully healthy and may have a solid upside. Nothing is a given but it looks like the tigers traded potentially good pitching for a potentially good bat. I would take that trade every time.

[dupree]

The tigers will definitely have power hitting and a dangerous lineup that may lead the league in HRs, unless the old men on the Yankees stay healthy and hit the most out over their softball fence in left field.

[Behindenemylines]

A lot depends who shows up. If the beginning of 2013 Buchholz and a healthy Masterson show up then the staff won't be as bad as some worry that it could be. Granted this team still needs an ace to make any playoff run.

[Spudboy]

One thing that worries me is starting pitching depth. Most of the time a team needs 6-7 guys ready to contribute innings in a regular season. I don't think that the Sox are deep in this category.

If one or two of the current starters falters or becomes injured, who steps up? Renaudo? Workman? Barnes? Owens?

Will any of those guys be able to provide quality starts if needed?

[Palodios]

One thing that worries me is starting pitching depth. Most of the time a team needs 6-7 guys ready to contribute innings in a regular season. I don't think that the Sox are deep in this category.

If one or two of the current starters falters or becomes injured, who steps up? Renaudo? Workman? Barnes? Owens?

Will any of those guys be able to provide quality starts if needed?

Valid points. Workman and Wright are probably the next two guys up. Unless some of the other guys make strides, that's not good news.

[Spudboy]

Thanks for pointing out my omission of Wright. I was thinking about him a couple of days ago when this all occurred to me.

Thanks Pal.

[jacksonianmarch]

I honestly think Owens is in your rotation on June 2, right after he'd secure an extra year of team control. This is assuming he isn't hurt, btw. TINSTAAPP

[seabeachfred]

Valid points. Workman and Wright are probably the next two guys up. Unless some of the other guys make strides, that's not good news.

Workman as a starter????? PLEASE!!!!!! Just jog your memory to last season Pal. He was a total bust at 1-10 as a starter and was usually meat after one trip through the lineup. He is a short inning reliever and little else. He might make a good seventh inning reliever for us but not as a starting pitcher.

[iortiz]

“We’re pursuing some stuff but I think it’€™s more what you would classify as depth related,” Cherington said. “…We like where we’€™re at. We like the collection of pitchers we have. We think there’€™s untapped potential in the group and the collection we have now can give us a strong pitching staff this year.”

If true, the worst rotation on paper since I can remember entering into a new season.