Red Sox have a disturbing shortage of viable starting pitchers

The Boston Red Sox are struggling to put together a full starting rotation with very few options who are deserving of a spot.

How many starting pitchers do the Boston Red Sox currently have in their rotation? Better question, how many starters do they have whose performance warrants counting them as a viable major league starter? The answer is, not enough.

With five off days between now and the end of August, not counting the remainder of the suspended game they’ll finish against the Kansas City Royals, the Red Sox will attempt to get by with only four starters for the foreseeable future. At least until September when rosters expand.

Figuring out who those four starters are will be a challenge.

David Price will be one of them once he recovers from the cyst on his wrist. He took a step toward his return by playing catch at Fenway Park on Monday but remains without a timetable. If the cyst was to blame for his recent struggles, a healthy Price should provide a significant upgrade to this rotation. Unfortunately, his return remains a mystery.

Andrew Cashner, the one move the Red Sox made to upgrade their pitching staff before the trade deadline, has been jettisoned to the bullpen after going 1-4 with an 8.01 ERA in six starts. Hey, at least now we can say Dave Dombrowski did add a reliever after all.

The Red Sox won’t commit to keeping Brian Johnson in the rotation. Why would they when he’s failed to last more than three innings in his last two spot starts? Wednesday would be Johnson’s next regular turn but the team currently has that spot listed as “Undecided.”

Then there’s Rick Porcello, the former Cy Young winner who enters the day with the worst ERA among qualified major league starters. Porcello has allowed the most earned runs in the majors this season and his 5.67 ERA is well over a run higher than his career rate.

If the Red Sox had appealing alternatives in their system, Porcello would be a candidate to be designated for assignment. He’s been that bad. Porcello should be joining Cashner in the bullpen but they can’t convert every struggling starter into a reliever. It probably wouldn’t go over well with the veteran to demote him from his starting role less than two months from when he hits free agency. He’s still well respected by his teammates and has come through for this team in the past, so this type of drastic change risks more harm than good by upsetting the clubhouse culture. So, Porcello keeps his spot, for now. Just don’t expect him to be back next year.