Red Sox: 5 starting pitchers to target in pursuit of depth
It’s not clear how likely of a scenario this is, but the Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly looking to deal from their starting pitcher depth before the season starts. They recently moved second baseman Logan Forsythe to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitching prospect Jose De Leon.
The most likely pitcher to be traded, as reported by Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, is Erasmo Ramirez. At 26, he’s owed just $3.2 million and still has two years of arbitration control remaining. Since coming over to the Rays from the Seattle Mariners, he’s put together a 3.76 ERA, 1.185 WHIP and 6.7 K/9 in 254 innings pitched. He spent the bulk of 2015 as a starting pitcher in 2015 but made 63 of his 64 appearances as a reliever last season, going 7-11 with two saves and a 3.77 ERA in 90.2 innings pitched.
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That versatility would be the biggest selling point for the Red Sox. They aren’t in the market for a starting pitcher that can carry a 200-inning load, just a guy that they can rely upon until their rotation is back to full health. Ramirez represents a solid option to slot into the back end of the order while David Price recovers, then transition to the bullpen as needed.