Does that mean Clay Buchholz is the odd man out? The 31-year old has been erratic, posting a 5.90 ERA through his first seven starts. Just when he appeared to be turning the corner with a 7 inning, 2 run effort that earned him his first win of the season, Buchholz followed that performance with another dud. He gave up 4 runs in 5 innings, getting the win only thanks to an offensive explosion from the Red Sox lineup.
As much of an enigma as Buchholz has been throughout his career, we’ve all seen what he’s capable of. When he’s got his head in the game he can be one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. Unfortunately he can just as easily swerve in the opposite direction, which has been the case in most of his outings this season.
The Red Sox could let Buchholz go in free agency after this season if they don’t pick up his option again, but should they cut bait with him mid-season? We’ve seen with how the team handled the Pablo Sandoval situation that the Red Sox aren’t going to let contracts or past performance dictate playing time. If Buchholz can’t turn things around quickly, he may be the one that gets replaced.
Next: What do they do with Kelly?