When each starter is performing up to par, the Sox have a dynamic staff. However, it'll all come down to consistency and durability, both of which plagued Boston down the stretch last season.
Add in the question marks at the back end of the rotation, and it's easy to see why some Sox fans might be concerned about the pitching going forward.
The talent is certainly there, though. After a disappointing end to the season, and an ugly fallout following the September collapse, the team — especially the pitching staff — is as determined as ever. That could be a formula for success, or at the very least, enough reason to be optimistic.
Josh Beckett will be looking to bounce back after a rough second half in 2011. And while he's been up-and-down over the past few years, he still features electric stuff and is capable of providing the Sox with quality innings throughout the year.
Beckett finished last season with a 13-7 record and a 2.89 ERA in 30 starts. The right-hander finished the season on a down note, compiling a 5.48 ERA in four September starts, but he showed early on that he can still be a top-of-the-rotation starter.
Jon Lester enters his seventh season in the bigs, and he's already established himself as one of the game's best left-handers. Lester went 15-9 with a 3.47 ERA last year, and while his 1-3 record and 5.40 ERA in September was a bit disheartening, the lefty's track record shows that he'll likely bounce back when the Sox kick off the 2012 season.
Clay Buchholz, the third member of the Red Sox' Big Three, didn't pitch after June last season, which makes him somewhat of a wild card heading into this season. When healthy, though, he's already showed signs of becoming an front-end starter. He went 6-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 14 starts last season, but we could see him return to his 2010 form if healthy. He went 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts that season.
And Daniel Bard enters spring training in line to grab a hold of the team's fourth spot in the rotation after serving as the team's primary set-up man last season and as a reliable arm at the back end of the bullpen in each of his three big league seasons. He's yet to start a game at the major league level, but there's no denying that his stuff is electric, which could translate into success as a starter.
