The Boston Red Sox have a new-look starting rotation heading into 2015, but they're lacking a No. 1 starter to lead their cast. However, it appears the team is ready to move forward with who they have and will wait to make another addition.
Since the 2014 trade deadline, the Red Sox have acquired starters Joe Kelly, Justin Masterson, Wade Miley and Rick Porcello to replace a number of starters that the team traded or lost via free agency. Clay Buchholz is listed as Boston's No. 1 starter, but that remains and issue since the right-hander was 8-11 with a 5.34 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 28 starts last season.
For months the Red Sox have been in trade talks with the Philadelphia Phillies about left-hander Cole Hamels, but it appears Boston is unwilling to meet the demands of general manager Ruben Amaro, who is asking for three top prospects - one who can make an immediate impact, and others for the future. Boston also poked around on James Shields, but the two sides never entered negotiations.
"Look, starting pitchers who perform at the highest level and do so consistently and are relatively young and near their prime, those guys are hard guys to get and are valuable and cost a lot, whether it's dollars or talent," Cherington told Ben Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "We think we have enough pitching talent to put together a good pitching staff, one that can help us contend in the division."
Cherington said the team will likely add to the roster before spring training, but none of the moves will be "headline-grabbing."
For starting pitching, this offseason was an interesting one. Left-hander Jon Lester, who the Red Sox desperately attempted to re-sign, was the first marquee starter to go off the board when he signed a six-year, $155 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. Max Scherzer then signed a record seven-year, $210 million contract with the Washington Nationals about a month later. Trade rumors swirled around Hamels and David Price for quite a while, as well as Jordan Zimmermann and others. Shields is the top guy remaining, but his contract demands have caused a number of teams to back off.
So is Boston waiting for next offseason to add a starter that is more appealing to them? Stars such as Zimmermann, Price, Jeff Samardzija, Zack Greinke, Cliff Lee and others are eligible to hit the free agent market, which wouldn't cost the Red Sox any of their valuable prospects that the Phillies were seeking in a Hamels trade.
Buccholz (team option), Porcello and Masterson are also scheduled be free agents after 2015, and that gives the Red Sox some financial flexibility if they're interested in adding an established ace to their rotation.
Their roster is certainly good enough to compete, especially since the AL East is wide open as the Baltimore Orioles lost a number of key players, the New York Yankees have countless injuries to their starting rotation, the Tampa Bay Rays have almost a completely new team, and the Toronto Blue Jays haven't made the postseason since 1993.
Look for Cherington to go after an ace next offseason, unless an opportunity presents itself that he can't refuse before then.
