Four pitchers the Red Sox should approach during free agency
The Boston Red Sox are in dire need of pitching help and with free agency just a few months away, they’ll get their chance to go shopping for some arms.
This season hasn’t gone according to plan for the Red Sox and many of the headaches are coming from the pitching staff. Often this year we’re seeing the starters getting pulled early due to high pitch counts while giving up runs. Then the bullpen has been getting overworked and will find themselves unable to hold leads late in games.
This was a known issue going into the season with setup man Joe Kelly and closer Craig Kimbrel both departing Boston via free agency. The issue that stemmed from those departures was the lack of action in replacing them in the lineup. In what was one of the deepest free-agent markets in regards to pitching the Red Sox were silent.
Boston also found themselves totally inactive heading into the trade deadline and instead opted to run the table with the team they have. On the surface that seems a noble task but as these games become more important the lack of pitching support will be felt heavily.
Luckily for the Red Sox, this upcoming free-agent class is riddled with starting and relief pitchers that can aid in the 2020 campaign and beyond. After looking over those soon to be on the market I narrowed it down to a handful of pitchers that I think could really help Boston in the future.
Dallas Keuchel
Dallas Keuchel was a guy that I hoped the Red Sox would court during this past offseason. However, that wouldn’t be the plan and Keuchel would actually sit out a chunk of the first half. he would eventually sign with the Braves for the remainder of the 2019 season. Dallas spent seven of his eight career years in Houston where he would grow into a dominant partnership with Justin Verlander.
When you look at Keuchel’s numbers you won’t find anything that jumps off the screen. But he is the definition of consistency as his numbers rarely waver in either direction from season to season. Dallas is earning $13M this year with the Braves which is well under the salary of soon to be free agent Rick Porcello.
Keuchel would be a good addition to the staff as he would provide that foundation towards the back end of the starting rotation to balance out Chris Sale and David Price. Not to mention that it looks like he can be signed for a reasonable price which is exactly what the Red Sox are looking for with all of their budgetary woes.
Madison Bumgarner
This is a guy that had a whole lotta noise surrounding him as the trade deadline was getting closer but he remains in San Francisco. Madison Bumgarner is nearing the end of his 11th season in the Majors but is still just 30 years old. The Red Sox had a scout checking in on MadBum during a recent game against the Mets. However, the Giants were in the middle of a hot streak ad wound up keeping the veteran lefty.
Much like Keuchel, Bumgarner doesn’t command a high annual salary especially at this point in his career. In 2019 he will earn just $12M for his services in the Bay. With the Sox looking to add to the pitching staff this winter, Bumgarner would bring a great veteran presence to the staff especially with Porcello hitting the market.
I feel that there is a good chance that Dave Dombrowski can orchestrate a deal that is not only friendly for the Red Sox but also Bumgarner. If they can come to an agreement that doesn’t break Boston’s budget but is appealing enough to reel in the southpaw that’s a win-win. The only glaring negative would be the fact that Bumgarner would be the fourth lefty in the Sox starting rotation.
Gerrit Cole
This is the white whale of starting pitchers this coming offseason. Gerrit Cole has been one of the most dominant pitchers over the last two years. Ever since he was traded to Houston it has been nothing but success for the powerhouse righty. As it stands right now Cole is 29-10 over the last two seasons and has 502/103 K/BB ratio over that time. He currently leads the MLB in K’s this year with 226.
Cole is only bringing in $13.5M this season with Houston and this is sure to change after the seasons he’s had in Texas. If the Red Sox are going to spend big this winter it should be on the arm of Cole. He would be a great compliment to Sale and Price while also filling the right-handed void of Porcello.
If the Red Sox can create a contract that would lock him up for a handful of years at or around $18-20M/yr that may be a bargain. That may put them near the top of the budget but it would also be in the ballpark of what Porcello was earning so it shouldn’t cause too many sleepless nights. Cole would be a fantastic addition for the Sox to not only reignite their pitching staff but to also take away a weapon from a rival.
Will Smith
Will Smith is the reliever I had the most confidence in Dave Dombrowski trading for at the deadline. When the news came out that Boston sent scouts to see Bumgarner it was also said that they were there to check out the bullpen. One of those arms in the pen that they were most likely checking out was that of Smith.
Smith is in his seventh year in the league and usually hovers around 2.50-3.50 as far as his ERA is concerned barring a rare 5.32 in his rookie season. As far as 2019 is concerned he is the owner of a 3-0 record and a 2.55 ERA. What catches my attention the most is his 70-11 K/BB stats as we all know the Red Sox pen struggles with the free passes.
I don’t look for Smith to be the closer for Boston but he sure as hell can come in and eat up and inning or two if necessary. Though I wouldn’t expect him to go beyond an inning as he’s only gone for two twice in his 49.1 IP this season. Either way, Smith would offer value with his consistency and age, plus he’s only commanding a $4.225M salary this year. I wouldn’t mind a 3-year/$15M offering for what he offers the bullpen.
The Red Sox were complacent when it came to the 2019 free-agent window and they’re feeling the pains of that now. As the rest of the season plays itself out Boston needs to begin planning their winter activity. A big name leaving for free agency after this year will be Rick Porcello.
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The veteran righty will be open to test the market and see what his value is after what is shaping up to be an awful season. Boston will need to focus heavily on gaining the services of another starting pitcher to fill the void soon to be created by Porcello’s exit. At the moment there isn’t anyone in the farm system that feels ready to jump into the starting rotation for 2020.
Boston’s bullpen is still something that needs some attention but I feel that it is the least of the worries with how the starters have performed this year. If the Sox can continue to groom Darwinzon Hernandez and then add in another reliable arm I think the bullpen will be a much stronger group come 2020.
Next. Why the Red Sox should avoid trading Mookie Betts. dark
So with another season swiftly coming to a close, we have to begin looking towards the future. As of now, Boston finds themselves on the outside looking in as far as October goes so it may be in Dave Dombrowski’s best interests to begin working towards next year. Adding in some fresh arms to strengthen the rotation while lightening the workload on the bullpen should be the primary goal this winter.