Red Sox Predictions: Where will free agents play in 2020?
By Tim Starr
Rick Porcello had an interesting tenure in a Red Sox uniform – and that is to put it lightly. He started off with an awful 2015 season, but then bounced right back in 2016 by winning the Cy Young award. Then, Porcello went from first to worst, leading the American League in wins in 2016, then leading in losses in 2017. Porcello had his most average season in 2018 while posting a 5.52 ERA in 2019.
Based on those numbers, there seems to be absolutely no reason for any club to sign Porcello to a major league deal. However, during his Red Sox tenure, Porcello still averaged just under 195 innings every year.
Porcello is a veteran pitcher and has pitched in big spots since he came up as a rookie. He provides leadership and was always accountable throughout 2019. While he is a quantity not quality kind of pitcher, if the trend continues he should have an okay year in 2020, then get lit up in 2021. Especially when coming off this bad of a season, Porcello should come cheap for any club that would like to sign him.
I would imagine Porcello would garner interest from teams that can’t seem to keep a healthy rotation, a team that has a young rotation, or a club with a weak rotation and strong bullpen. Expect the Red Sox, Mets, Yankees, Angels, Marlins, and Athletics to look into Porcello.