BoSox Injection
Fansided

Red Sox: Familiar faces in free agency could bolster Boston’s lineup

By Brendan Mizgala

BOSTON, MA - JULY 26: Kevin Pillar #5 of the Boston Red Sox hits a solo home run in the fifth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on July 26, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JULY 26: Kevin Pillar #5 of the Boston Red Sox hits a solo home run in the fifth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on July 26, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next
Former Red Sox SP Rick Porcello
Jul 31, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Rick Porcello delivers a pitch to an Atlanta Braves batter in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

Former Red Sox RHP Rick Porcello

Rick Porcello was the definition of a roller coaster during his Red Sox tenure. For every good outing, there was a poor one sure to follow and for every Cy-Young caliber season, there’d be a .500 one coming down the pike. Two things that I’ve always appreciated about Porcello are his ability to be humble in victory and accountable in defeat. Never once did he want all of the sunshine or point the darkness at another player.

If he pitched well he’d often speak of how his defense backed him up or that the offense put the runs on the board that allowed him to relax on the mound. If he got shelled, it was all on him and he’d be the first to tell you that he didn’t execute the gameplan. That’s the definition of a locker room leader if I’ve ever seen one. I’m glad that after the career he’s had that he was finally able to win it all in 2018 before heading to free agency after 2019.

His is an interesting case as he was never shy about his desire to remain with the Red Sox and his love of the city. He would often bring up wanting an extension and even had an interest in taking a home-cooked deal to keep him with the team and still allow them to improve. Again, that’s what a leader does. However, the team never reciprocated that feeling even with the righty often mentioning a team-friendly deal.

Porcello had a rough year with the Mets in 2020, going 1-7 with a 5.64 ERA and 1.508 WHIP through 59 IP.  He signed with New York for one-year/$10M that would end up earning him just over $3.7M thanks to the COVID adjusted salaries. That was already a massive pay cut for the righty based on his previous contract in Boston, add in the god-awful season and Bloom could probably get him for a steal.

In a perfect world, I’m sure Porcello would want something in the realm of what he was supposed to get in 2020 but his performance doesn’t warrant it. I think Bloom could bring him back to Boston with something in the neighborhood of 2-years/$14M.

It would be a raise from what he earned this year while not being insulting based on where he is at this point in his career. A veteran arm in a shaky rotation, even with his track record, could be the stability that the Red Sox need right now.

Home/Red Sox News