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

[Bellhorn04]

For better or worse, Benny Boy is really putting himself on the line with the pitching staff he has assembled.

[GomesBeard]

I think Ranaudo has potential. He only has 7 games in the big leagues, but was 14-4 in Pawtucket last year with a 2.61 ERA. Needs to work on his control a bit, but he is someone I'd like to see get a shot as a starter if we need one.

[jd98]

“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.

Maybe he was talking about Pawtucket. PawSox rotation does look good.

[Spitball]

I look at the contract the Nationals just gave Max Scherzer and realize the competition for starting pitching is at a foolishly high level. I would have been very concerned if the Sox had paid that much for that long. The guy is going to be making $35 million in the sixth and seventh years of the contract when he is 35 and 36 years-old.

I don't think the Red Sox rotation is that far behind anyone in the AL East. With the possible exceptions of Cobb and a healthy Tanaka, there isn't a true ace in the division.

And an ace doesn't guarantee anything in the post season. Take out Baumgarden's ace statistics and this year’s post-season saw Kershaw, Lester, Verlander, Scherzer and Shields pitched 57 1/3 innings, allowing 69 hits and 42 earned runs for a 6.59 ERA.

Red Sox
1. Clay Buchholz
2. Rick Porcello
3. Wade Miley
4. Joe Kelly
5. Justin Masterson

Orioles
1. Chris Tillman
2. Wei-Yin Chen
3. Bud Norris
4. Miguel Gonzalez
5. Kevin Gausman

Rays
1. Alex Cobb
2. Matt Moore
3. Chris Archer
4. Jake Odorizzi
5. Drew Smyly

Yankees
1. Masahiro Tanaka
2. Michael Pineda
3. Nathan Eovaldi
4. Chris Capuano
5. CC Sabathia

Blue Jays
1. R.A. Dickey
2. Mark Buehrle
3. Drew Hutchison
4. Marcus Stroman
5. Aaron Sanchez

[cp176]

I look at the contract the Nationals just gave Max Scherzer and realize the competition for starting pitching is at a foolishly high level. I would have been very concerned if the Sox had paid that much for that long. The guy is going to be making $35 million in the sixth and seventh years of the contract when he is 35 and 36 years-old.

I don't think the Red Sox rotation is that far behind anyone in the AL East. With the possible exceptions of Cobb and a healthy Tanaka, there isn't a true ace in the division.

And an ace doesn't guarantee anything in the post season. Take out Baumgarden's ace statistics and this year’s post-season saw Kershaw, Lester, Verlander, Scherzer and Shields pitched 57 1/3 innings, allowing 69 hits and 42 earned runs for a 6.59 ERA.

Red Sox
1. Clay Buchholz
2. Rick Porcello
3. Wade Miley
4. Joe Kelly
5. Justin Masterson

Orioles
1. Chris Tillman
2. Wei-Yin Chen
3. Bud Norris
4. Miguel Gonzalez
5. Kevin Gausman

Rays
1. Alex Cobb
2. Matt Moore
3. Chris Archer
4. Jake Odorizzi
5. Drew Smyly

Yankees
1. Masahiro Tanaka
2. Michael Pineda
3. Nathan Eovaldi
4. Chris Capuano
5. CC Sabathia

Blue Jays
1. R.A. Dickey
2. Mark Buehrle
3. Drew Hutchison
4. Marcus Stroman
5. Aaron Sanchez

I enjoy reading your posts and I do like your philosophical outlook toward the over paying of players not just pitchers. I also like your optimism. You might be right. If the glass is half empty though, I am thinking that based on past history you only have two pitchers there that could go a full season without at least one stint on the DL. If there are no more moves made, we better hope that some of those young good arms playing in Rhode Island are ready to go.

[iortiz]

Maybe he was talking about Pawtucket. PawSox rotation does look good.

LOL, maybe.

[pruneface]

I enjoy reading your posts and I do like your philosophical outlook toward the over paying of players not just pitchers. I also like your optimism. You might be right. If the glass is half empty though, I am thinking that based on past history you only have two pitchers there that could go a full season without at least one stint on the DL. If there are no more moves made, we better hope that some of those young good arms playing in Rhode Island are ready to go.

Their biggest problem last year was hitting. Is it unreasonable to expect a decent performance from the rotation given that runs are at a premium these days (down about a whole run/game from 10 years ago)? I'm willing to entertain the possibility that a competitive team can get by with good pitching provided its hitting is above average. In other words, scoring runs is much harder now so pitchers across the board are becoming more effective.

[cp176]

Their biggest problem last year was hitting. Is it unreasonable to expect a decent performance from the rotation given that runs are at a premium these days (down about a whole run/game from 10 years ago)? I'm willing to entertain the possibility that a competitive team can get by with good pitching provided its hitting is above average. In other words, scoring runs is much harder now so pitchers across the board are becoming more effective.

I don't think that it is an unreasonable thought at all and if you expect it, I hope that you are right. That means that you must expect that staff to stay healthy and whole for the season. I also believe that good pitching can indeed be successful. If they stay healthy, they could be good. Once again I hope that I am wrong but I don't like the health record of 3 out of the 5. I don't think that you can be successful with one good and one average pitcher in any division at that level. I like thinking that they will all stay healthy and pitch the way many think they can. I just don't expect it. If this is the end product, I'll take what I get like the rest of us. You obviously are a positive person. I like that - so for the record - Renaudo,Barnes, Johnson, Owens, Rodriguez I think makes a pretty 5 at the triple A level.

[pruneface]

I don't think that it is an unreasonable thought at all and if you expect it, I hope that you are right. That means that you must expect that staff to stay healthy and whole for the season. I also believe that good pitching can indeed be successful. If they stay healthy, they could be good. Once again I hope that I am wrong but I don't like the health record of 3 out of the 5. I don't think that you can be successful with one good and one average pitcher in any division at that level. I like thinking that they will all stay healthy and pitch the way many think they can. I just don't expect it. If this is the end product, I'll take what I get like the rest of us. You obviously are a positive person. I like that - so for the record - Renaudo,Barnes, Johnson, Owens, Rodriguez I think makes a pretty 5 at the triple A level.

All these guys are young except for Clay, who's an old man in disguise. Like you listed, there are some decent prospects in the minors should a starter need shelf time. There's also that knuckleballer Wright. No team can expect to be competitive if they are decimated with injuries. I think there's reason for guarded optimism. If healthy, they should be able to keep the sox in games so their offense can win it. It remains for the games to be played.

[cp176]

All these guys are young except for Clay, who's an old man in disguise. Like you listed, there are some decent prospects in the minors should a starter need shelf time. There's also that knuckleballer Wright. No team can expect to be competitive if they are decimated with injuries. I think there's reason for guarded optimism. If healthy, they should be able to keep the sox in games so their offense can win it. It remains for the games to be played.

I would really like to see that one big signing. I think that a clear majority of fans, writers, and the rest of us wannabes expected or maybe still even expect it to happen. Whether it happens or not, I agree that there is reason for guarded optimism.
I really can't say that I am much of a Stephen Wright fan but who knows that may change as well. I do like some of those youngsters though. The health of that rotation will go a long way toward determining how the season goes. Let's hope that glass of water is half full and not half empty.

[Spitball]

I enjoy reading your posts and I do like your philosophical outlook toward the over paying of players not just pitchers. I also like your optimism. You might be right. If the glass is half empty though, I am thinking that based on past history you only have two pitchers there that could go a full season without at least one stint on the DL. If there are no more moves made, we better hope that some of those young good arms playing in Rhode Island are ready to go.

Thanks, cp. I very much enjoy your contributions. Building a team around high priced pitching is not necessarily a prescription for success. Otherwise, the 2011 Phillies, 2014 Dodgers, 2014 Tigers would have been champions.

[iortiz]

Thanks, cp. I very much enjoy your contributions. Building a team around high priced pitching is not necessarily a prescription for success. Otherwise, the 2011 Phillies, 2014 Dodgers, 2014 Tigers would have been champions.

Yeah but those teams were in POs and with realistic posibilities to make a big splash. Do u really think this rotation is even comparable with those? Really?

Again, hopefully I eat my words but I see a bunch of mediocre arms with serious prone injury issues in this current rotation.

[cp176]

Thanks, cp. I very much enjoy your contributions. Building a team around high priced pitching is not necessarily a prescription for success. Otherwise, the 2011 Phillies, 2014 Dodgers, 2014 Tigers would have been champions.

Very very true. Thnx for the compliment. Great fans on this board all hoping for the same result .

[User Name?]

Yeah but those teams were in POs and with realistic posibilities to make a big splash. Do u really think this rotation is even comparable with those? Really?

Again, hopefully I eat my words but I see a bunch of mediocre arms with serious prone injury issues in this current rotation.

That's exactly the point he was trying to make. Furthermore, the 2013 Red Sox had a bunch of question marks and beat a behemoth of a rotation in the form of the Tigers on the way to the WS. No one expected Lester and Lackey to rebound the way they did.

[iortiz]

That's exactly the point he was trying to make. Furthermore, the 2013 Red Sox had a bunch of question marks and beat a behemoth of a rotation in the form of the Tigers on the way to the WS. No one expected Lester and Lackey to rebound the way they did.

What point?