Red Sox: How much longer will Clay Buchholz be in Boston?
When the Boston Red Sox talk to teams during the trade deadline, I would really hope that pitcher Clay Buchholz is put into a deal.
During the past few trade deadlines, I would always wonder if this was the year where the Boston Red Sox would give up of their ever so complicated relationship with pitcher Clay Buchholz.
As we all know, Buchholz has been a disappointment this season. But are any of you surprised? If there was anyone on this planet who thought that Buchholz was going to have a comeback season after having a season ending elbow injury in 2015, you’re just foolish. And if you think that he will ever be the pitcher he once was in 2013, I’d love to hear how.
After the disappointing start to the 2016 season, manager John Farrell decided to move Buchholz to the bullpen, hoping that he could find some success in a different role.
In the few weeks where Buchholz served as a long reliever, you saw moments of success, but failure as well. Which lead me to think the magical question that has been going through my head the past 3 seasons now: When will Buchholz be traded?
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To be honest, Buchholz has been so bad the past few seasons, it’s come to the point where you may not get a lot of talent in return for him. Which is terrible for Sox fans because if you want Buchholz to be put in a deal, then some young talent may have to be involved to intrigue other teams. No, I’m not saying Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, or Jackie Bradley Jr. , but perhaps one of their top 10 prospects for a starting pitcher or a power arm for the bullpen.
Earlier last week, pitcher Roenis Elias was roughed up to say the least against the Seattle Mariners. After that game, it was announced that Buchholz would be taking Elias’ spot in the rotation. Yes, another opportunity for Buchholz to show that he can be the true starting pitcher he once was.
If the Red Sox were smart, this should just simply be a showcase for Buchholz. Even if he has a few good quality starts, they should know by now that it won’t last long.
And like I just said, if Buchholz were to show some success as a starter again, you’ve seen that he is not a proven pitcher in the second half of the season. That’s tough to say because he has been on the DL for most of the time during the second half of the season. But the last time he was healthy enough to pitch the months of July, August, and September was in 2014, in which he compiled ERA’s of 4.58, 4.36, and 5.04. Nothing special from a guy who had so much potential just a few years ago.
Clay Buchholz was once one of the best pitchers in the game. The key word in that last statement was “once”. And now that his career is going downhill fast, it’s time to part ways with him before it’s too late and teams simply don’t have any interest in him anymore.