Jhoulys Chacin
This has been a forgettable season for Jhoulys Chacin. He went 3-10 with a 5.79 ERA before mercifully being released by a Brewers team that was already thin on rotation depth.
The Red Sox are even more desperate for a starting pitcher to fill the void at the back of their rotation so they are taking a low-risk chance on Chacin.
As poorly as he’s pitched this year, Chacin was an above-average starter the previous two seasons. He was 28-18 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with the San Diego Padres and Brewers from 2017-2018.
Both seasons were spent in the National League without the threat of the designated hitter. His time in San Diego provided the luxury of one of MLB’s most pitcher-friendly parks. Chacin posted a stellar 1.79 ERA at Petco Park during his season with the Padres but a brutal 6.53 ERA on the road.
Boston doesn’t need Chacin to match his production from the previous two seasons. They need a fifth starter who can be counted on to eat some innings without imploding. He’ll need to be better than he was with the Brewers this year but his history implies that he’s capable of providing what this team needs.
Chacin is far from a sure thing and comes with plenty of red flags but he can’t be much worse than the options the Red Sox have cycled through the back of their rotation. If he fills that role adequately well then he’ll be the most valuable addition the Red Sox make in September.