Red Sox have solid starting rotation depth to cover for injuries

Roenis Elias

Two years ago I was very happy about the inclusion of Roenis Elias in the trade the sent Wade Miley to Seattle and Carson Smith to Boston. At the time, Elias looked a lot like a young Wade Miley himself. Both were southpaws who had middling stuff but managed to get outs and eat innings with relative consistency.

Since that trade, Miley fell off a cliff and neither Smith or Elias have amassed 10 innings in Boston. Still, it’s worth remembering that in Seattle Elias was an okay starter for two years and the peripherals back up the notion that he could at least be an average pitcher.

Over 279 innings Elias owned a FIP of 4.23 and 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings. His walk rate was a bit higher than you’d like, hovering in the mid-threes, but that performance would be more than welcome this far down the depth chart.

With options remaining on his contract, he’d have to blow away the field to get a shot before Wright and Johnson. However, Elias has the ceiling of at least a backend starter and if multiple pitchers go down, the Red Sox have an in-house option better than most teams plan D’s.