Rick Porcello
Rick Porcello is one of the biggest names that the Red Sox will have to address once this season comes to an end. Porcello has been the foundation of the Red Sox rotation since he arrived in 2015. The big thing with Porcello is his inconsistency when it comes to the quality of his seasons. He is the dictionary definition of a rollercoaster.
His first season in Boston was mediocre at 9-15 with a 4.92 ERA with a 149/38 K/BB ratio. Not the debut he was hoping for I’m sure. But he would follow with a year for the record books as he left 2016 with not only the Cy Young Award but also a league-leading 22 wins.
He also saw positive trends in his strikeouts increasing while his walks decreasing finishing with a 189/32 ratio.
Porcello would continue his trends with the up and down alternating seasons. One thing that always stayed constant was his ability to eat innings when necessary with his lowest season being 172 IP and his highest totaling 223 IP. Now we need to look at the numbers to see whether or not the Red Sox should work to bring him back.
This season Rick will be earning $21.125M and will be turning 31 just after Christmas. We all know that once pitchers turn 30 it’s as if they’re the carriage turning back into a pumpkin at midnight. Some can continue to excel while others hit a wall.
Based on how 2019 has started it feels like Porcello may be the latter of that tale. With his salary and age as well as the inconsistent play I don’t feel that the Red Sox should re-sign Porcello.
Decision: Do not re-sign