Age: 27
Contract Status: 3 years, $62.75 million remaining
A year ago Porcello’s contract appeared to be an unmovable albatross, but now that the Comeback Player of the Year has added a Cy Young trophy to his mantle he suddenly looks like a bargain. Many questioned Ben Cherington’s decision to lock up Porcello with an extension that paid him over $20 million annually before he ever proved himself worthy of such a lucrative contract, but the former Red Sox GM’s foresight is now paying off.
Porcello set career highs with 22 wins, a 3.16 ERA, 223 innings, 189 strikeouts and a major league leading 5.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio. If he were to hit free agency now he’d be looking at offers approaching Price’s territory, yet the Red Sox have him locked up for three more years at significantly less.
Entering the prime of his career on a reasonable contract with the additional validation of the Cy Young hardware, Porcello would be among the most coveted starting pitchers on the market if he were to be made available.