According to soxprospects.com, here are the options remaining:
Red= too good to send down.
0:
Sale, Kluber, Pivetta, Paxton
Jansen, Martin, JRod, Bleier, Brasier
1:
Mata, Mills
2:
Houck, Crawford, Winckowski, Bello, Ort
3: Whitlock, Schreiber, Kelly, Walter, Murphy
9 with 0 options, 3 are must keeps, so that leaves one with options to keep on the 13 man staff, at any given time.
To me, Bello, Crawford and Wink should be on the 13 man staff, but having 1 in the minors seems okay.
Ort has options, so he's an easy choice, but we'd have to trade or DFA Brasier to keep 2.
Of course, one injury solves the problem, and it's almost a certainty one pitcher will be on the IL, at all times- maybe 2-3.
Last edited by moonslav59; 04-03-2023 at 11:39 AM.
Sox 4 Ever
I'd say, until Schreiber proves he does not belong, he's on my 13, no matter how many pitchers are healthy.
Now, I suppose Crawford, Wink and Bello could all be looking great (and better than Schreiber) and change my mind, but as of now, Schreiber has a firm hold on a 13 man staff slot.
Sox 4 Ever
My biggest concern with Bloom is the title of the post.
2020 Rotation - Shit. One of the two worst rotations in the league.
2021 Rotation - Low key not great aside from Nate! ERod, Richards, Perez all had ERA+ under 100. Success was just health luck.
2022 Rotation - Parade of Injured Pitchers and Ineffectiveness.
If the rotation struggles this season, there's question on if Bloom knows how to build a rotation. W
I said that about Winks stuff too in the past. I think his stuff has taken a step forward, I don't think he's great or going to be a superstar or really even close. But I'm much more convinced he has an MLB career ahead of him. He might be fine as a swingman/ middle relief type here for a few years.
I have a feeling we are going to see more of him this year. I think he's going to be on that Woo-Sox shuttle all year.
This has pretty much been my line of thinking for a while. A healthy Sale and Kluber can be a big lift for this rotation. If Whitlock and Bello can pitch like to young studs in a rotation with the talent we know they have that can be a big lift for this rotation.
If all those things happen, then this rotation might be....dare I say....Knock on every piece of wood you can find, really really good. I'll take 3 out of 4.
As Bellhorn alluded to, it's not really a question of whether Bloom knows how to acquire good starters, it's that he ultimately chooses not to. We've been hearing every winter that the Sox have interest in this arm or that, but all Bloom has done is replace one serviceable big leaguer with another on short contracts. Eovaldi and Wacha weren't Hall of Famers, but they did fine in Boston. They just wanted more money than the ghosts of Kluber and Paxton.
This past winter finally revealed offers made to legit starters who signed elsewhere -- such leaks were either an attempt to show the fanbase he was actually trying to improve the rotation... or that he was incapable of closing the deal for those he covets.
For those who think Bloom will someday trade prospects, instead of paying for arms, he's been in charge of four offseasons... and someday never comes.