Red Sox: Predictions and Grades for the 2016 pitching staff
By Tyler Mason
Grade: C
In December of 2014, Rick Porcello was dealt to the Red Sox for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. At first, I didn’t mind the trade. I thought we needed help in the rotation and after losing Jon Lester, John Lackey, and Jake Peavy a few months earlier in the trade deadline. I began to think otherwise after I saw the Opening Day rotation and then signing him to a 4 year extension worth $82.5 million before he threw a ball off the mound in the regular season.
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Porcello’s 2015 season was a struggle to watch to say the least. He went to 9-15 with an ERA just under 5. When Boston would go on a run and win a couple of games in a row last season, Porcello would be the one to get blown up and ruin that streak. Batters hit .287 against Porcello last season, ranking him with the second highest batting average against him. And when he got hit, he got hit hard. Porcello ranked 8th for home runs allowed with 25. That says a lot when he was sidelined for a month last season.
After being sidelined for most of August, Porcello came back and gave the Sox some quality starts. Nothing to rave about, but something you hope to see much more of next season. I think with Price in the rotation, Porcello won’t have that pressure where he has to be one of the top pitchers in the staff. When Porcello was with Detroit and had Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Anibal Sanchez in front of him in the rotation, he knew he had star pitchers to back him up. Now with Price leading the staff, expect Porcello to go back to the way he once was in Detroit and deliver quality starts on a consistent basis.
Prediction: 12-10, 4.12 ERA, 163 innings pitched.
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