With hot stove season in Major League Baseball rapidly approaching, the Boston Red Sox will have some big decisions to make regarding their pitching approach.
In the rotation, both Nathan Eovaldi and Drew Pomeranz are free agents, with the former reportedly having plenty of suitors and likely will command a semi-lucrative deal. Bullpen arms Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel, meanwhile, also are set to become free agents.
Under contract now in the rotation are Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez. On a conference call Monday, Boston’s president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski shed some light on the Red Sox’s approach to the rotation.
Dombrowski says Sox are comfortable with where the rotation stands, with four established pitchers plus perhaps Wright along with Johnson, Velazquez, though he said Sox are open-minded about adding to rotation.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) November 19, 2018
Dombrowski also gave some insight on the Red Sox’s plan for the bullpen.
Dombrowski: 'We have had conversations with [reps for Kimbrel/Eovaldi]. … We'll continue to do so.' Regarding bullpen, Dombrowski says team is having ongoing talks with clubs (re: trades) and free agents.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) November 19, 2018
The Red Sox’s pitching mostly was solid in the postseason but ran into some trouble during the regular season — the bullpen in particular. And with at least a few players likely to depart via free agency, Boston will have some moves to make over the next few months.