Pitching depth has been a main theme of the Boston Red Sox's offseason, whether it be how many starters they traded or how many they still have even after all their offseason moves. The Sox have so many pitchers that some have flown under the radar as potential rotation options.
Patrick Sandoval is one of them, which makes sense, as he was in quite a forgettable position last year. The Red Sox signed Sandoval before the 2025 season after the Los Angeles Angels declined to tender him a contract. Boston expected him to be ready to pitch in the second half of last season after he underwent UCL surgery in the middle of 2024, but he didn't recover in time.
Now, in the first official days of spring training, Sandoval approaches a pivotal moment. On February 13, he'll face live batters for the first time since his injury troubles began a year and a half ago. It'll just be a live batting practice session against Sox hitters, but Sandoval will get plenty of work this spring, and he could even assert himself as a rotation option.
He'll face stiff competition in doing so. Garrett Crochet has already been named Boston's Opening Day starter, and the offseason additions of Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo leave just one rotation spot open for an internal candidate. Brayan Bello seems like a likely option given his body of work over the last two seasons, but anything can change in spring training.
Red Sox pitcher Patrick Sandoval to face live batters for the first time since UCL surgery on February 13
Even if Sandoval doesn't make the cut for the rotation, the Red Sox could still have a need for him. Boston traded Chris Murphy, Brennan Bernardino and Luis Guerrero on November 18, and it let Justin Wilson and Steven Matz walk in free agency, leaving the bullpen without some critical lefty arms. There have been rumors that the Sox had their eyes on some free agent relievers, but they haven't seemed to evolve past "interest" and into pursuit.
Sandoval has also been mentioned as a trade candidate a few times and it wouldn't be shocking to see him moved before Opening Day. Caleb Durbin is seemingly Boston's final infield addition, but it could move Sandoval to unload his salary or package him in a deal to move another player.
Sandoval has a history of success in the major leagues, with a 4.01 ERA over 536 innings in his six-year career so far. The best year of his career was 2022 when he clocked a 2.91 ERA with 151 strikeouts in 148.2 frames. He could shock the Red Sox and their fans to make the rotation while Bello and Suárez are away from the team playing in the World Baseball Classic. If not, he could become a bullpen staple for the next season.