The Boston Red Sox’s 2015 starting rotation still isn’t taking shape.
It’s becoming increasingly clear as the 2014 season winds down that the Red Sox’s attempt to assemble a formidable rotation — one capable of leading the club back into contention next season — is going to be more difficult than originally anticipated. Boston’s current crop of young starters has done little to evoke confidence going into the offseason.
Brandon Workman (1-10, 5.17) and Rubby De La Rosa (4-8, 4.50) once looked like locks for the Red Sox’s 2015 rotation, making it easier to justify trading away Jon Lester and John Lackey before the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline. But Workman hasn’t won since June 10 — dropping 10 consecutive decisions — and De La Rosa lasted less than five innings Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards for the fifth time in his last seven starts.
Anthony Ranaudo (3-3, 5.29) and Allen Webster (4-3, 5.54), both of whom entered the picture once Lester, Lackey, Jake Peavy and Felix Doubront were traded away, haven’t made the most of their opportunities, either. That leaves Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly as the only “locks” for next season, and even they aren’t exactly sure bets given the former’s early-season woes and the latter’s occasional tightrope walks.
“I think what that group is learning along the way is that it’s a sizable jump from Triple-A to here, and the ability to go through a lineup three times is a challenge,” Red Sox manager Farrell told reporters after Saturday’s 7-2 loss to the Orioles. “That comes down to consistency from pitch to pitch. It’s not a matter of stuff. It’s a matter of learning to handle the challenges of the major league level.”
The Red Sox aren’t blind to the situation. General manager Ben Cherington acknowledged immediately after dealing away four-fifths of his Opening Day rotation that Boston plans to be active in the starting pitching market this offseason, either through free agency or trades. Clearly, however, the Red Sox were hoping that at least one of their young starters would step up and seize a spot for 2015. And that simply hasn’t been the case, turning what once was considered an area of organizational depth into a head-scratcher seemingly overnight.
“They’re all candidates,” Farrell said. “How strong they are is going to be different from guy to guy. And part of what we’re trying to get our arms around this September is some kind of preferred order to that group.”
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the young starters currently in Boston — De La Rosa, Workman, Ranaudo and Webster — are going through new experiences as far as workloads are concerned. It’s possible they’ll be better next season and beyond because of it.
The Red Sox also have another wave of young starters — Henry Owens, Brian Johnson and Eduardo Rodriguez — on the cusp of reaching the majors, though they’ll bring a similar level of uncertainty to the equation once they finally make the jump to The Show.
It once looked like the Red Sox would enter the offseason needing to add one or two legitimate starters to their current mix for 2015. Now, it looks like Cherington might need to rework his wish list, as Boston’s internal candidates have been underwhelming.
Photo via Joy R. Absalon/USA TODAY Sports
