Wednesday might have been it for Rick Porcello in a Boston Red Sox uniform.
It undoubtedly was the righty’s last start of the season, a six-inning effort in which he allowed three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts in a 10-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Porcello is set to become a free agent this offseason, and it’s unclear whether the Red Sox will make any effort to bring him back. If not, it’ll mark the end of a five-year run for Porcello in Boston. He’s clearly aware of that, and following the victory, he saluted the organization.
“From the bottom of my heart it’s been an absolute pleasure to wear this uniform and pitch for the Red Sox organization for the last five years,” Porcello said, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “For Mr. (John) Henry, Mr. (Tom) Warner, all these guys, our coaching staff, all these players — this is as good of a group as you’re going to find. I know this year hasn’t worked out the way we wanted to, but it doesn’t take away from the special human beings in this clubhouse.”
This season wasn’t a great one for Porcello, who will finish with a 14-12 record and 5.52 ERA. But his run with the Red Sox, even with its lows, had many highs — a Cy Young Award in 2016 and some important showings in the 2018 postseason among them. He’s always been healthy and on the mound every fifth day, and despite his time in majors (11 seasons), he’s only 30 years old.
