The Boston Red Sox aren’t ready to explore starting pitching options from outside the organization — yet.
The Boston Globe reported Wednesday morning citing a major league source that the Red Sox haven’t yet intensified any sorts of trade talks to improve the starting rotation.
That report comes on the same day the Philadelphia Daily News reported the Phillies will be scouting the Red Sox’s High-A minor-league team in Salem, Va., this week. The Phillies and Red Sox have been linked in trade rumors since the offseason with much of the reported talk centering around Phillies ace Cole Hamels.
However, as of now, Boston general manager Ben Cherington and the Red Sox are fixated on fixing from within.
“We acknowledge the performance of the pitching staff and we know it needs to improve. We still believe it will simply by our pitchers pitching to their capability,” Cherington told the Globe in an email. “We don’t need them to do more than that. We believe if we pitch to our capability we will win games. We’re focused on helping the guys that are here now pitch to their capability.”
Red Sox manager John Farrell spoke to Boston’s starting struggles — Red Sox starters have an MLB-worst 6.03 ERA — after Clay Buchholz failed to get out of the third inning Tuesday night in an eventual loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
“So many times the starter sets the tone,” Farrell said. “Whether that’s pitching in or pitching off the plate, trying to keep guys from rushing out to one side of the strike zone, a starter is going to give the guy coming in behind him some room to maneuver, and that hasn’t been the case.”
One way or another, if the Red Sox want to have a successful season, they’re going to need to start sending out pitchers who can be effective.
Click to read The Boston Globe’s report >>
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
