October 6, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Chris Capuano(35) pitches in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves in game three of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Sox recently lost a bit of starting pitching depth with the announcement that Ryan Dempster will sit out the 2014 season. Though the team does have enough current depth that they do not need to make a big last-minute acquisition who will jump into the starting rotation, a few depth moves cannot hurt. With that in mind, the Red Sox have apparently jumped right into the minor-league depth options and are in talks with left-handed pitcher Chris Capuano.
Capuano would not see the rotation to begin the year, and may not even make the 25-man roster out of spring training. However, he has the potential to be a very solid depth option given what he has done with the Los Angeles Dodgers over the last two years. Capuano had something of a renaissance year in 2012, starting 33 games and posting a 3.72 ERA, and backed it up with a solid, if unspectacular 2013 season. With the NL West champion Dodgers in 2013, Capuano pitched in 24 games (20 starts) while posting a 4.26 ERA and a 3.38 K/BB– his best ratio since his All-Star season in 2006.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Red Sox along with the Mariners, Marlins, and White Sox are in talks with Capuano. The Red Sox would likely not be equipped to promise Capuano a rotation spot, but he fits their desire for a Dempster-esque swingman type. Depth obviously never hurts, but there’s no need for the Red Sox to go more than one year with Capuano as they have Brandon Workman waiting in the wings. If the price is right, he could be a solid acquisition, but there really is not an obvious role for him on the major league roster.