3 former Red Sox players the roster could desperately use in 2023
Things are going pretty well for the Boston Red Sox and yet there are plenty of reasons to fret. Despite being in the toughest division in Major League Baseball, they have a winning record and look more than competent.
The Red Sox had a questionable offseason with some of the biggest errors becoming who they let go. When we look at their most recent crop of free agents to leave the ball club, the ones they could use most right now are a bit of a surprise.
It’s not Xander Bogaerts the Red Sox would be desperate to get back. The offense is fine. It’s these three pitchers Boston could use on the roster again.
1) The Red Sox roster is missing the Nathan Eovaldi magic
Nathan Eovaldi became one of several free agent starting pitchers the Texas Rangers signed this offseason. Through 9 starts, Eovaldi is 5-2 with a 2.83 ERA. His inability to stay healthy during much of his time in Boston was one of the reasons why they let him go. However, with nearly half as many starts in the books this year as he had all of last year with the Red Sox, it’s easy to see why they would want him back.
Instead of re-signing Eovaldi, the Red Sox inked Corey Kluber. Hoping to milk the last ounces of talent out of him hasn’t worked well. He’s less of a short-term chip they could always trade if things go poorly and more of a guy who could be headed toward becoming a serious DFA candidate.
The nostalgia of how impressive Eovaldi was in the 2018 postseason will have Red Sox fans forever clinging to their fandom for him. He had one of the most dazzling postseason imaginable and he did it as a starter and reliever.
As if it wasn’t painful enough to see Eovaldi thrive elsewhere, the Red Sox would probably like to have this other guy back on the roster who just beat them on Sunday.
2) The Red Sox roster could use Michael Wacha back
There were warning signs from Eovaldi and there had been some from Michael Wacha before he even landed in Boston. A bit of a strange coincidence, each pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays before joining the Red Sox. It’s not really relevant, though. What matters is how much Wacha could’ve turned the Red Sox rotation around right now.
After his five shutout innings against Boston on Sunday, Wacha is 9 starts deep into the season with a 5-1 record and 3.58 ERA. He was a rebound candidate on the Red Sox roster last year where he was 11-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 23 starts.
The reasons for letting Wacha leave are somewhat understandable. Before last season he put together three rough campaigns with a different team each season. The Red Sox were kind enough to give him a chance to rebuild his stock. He did and Boston moved on.
It has turned out to be a mistake. Along with signing Kluber, the Red Sox moved forward with a rotation of veterans and younger arms still trying to prove themselves. James Paxton, albeit through only two starts, has somehow been their best start. Multiple pitchers have ERAs over 6.00 which has added pressure to the offense to pick them up.
The starting rotation isn’t the only place of need. The Red Sox could also use another arm in the bullpen.
3) Former Red Sox pitcher Matt Strahm has proven they should’ve kept him
Out of desperation, the Philadelphia Phillies turned to Matt Strahm to actually start a few games for them this year. Imagine if the Red Sox had this weapon on their roster early.
More importantly, Strahm would have given them an upgrade in the bullpen as the main lefty reliever. Richard Bleier and Joely Rodriguez were underwhelming options. The former has been horrific. The latter has been hurt for most of the year.
Strahm is back in the Phillies bullpen where he belongs. After 33 innings with a half-dozen starts included within, Strahm is 4-3 with a 2.73 ERA.
It’s easy to say Strahm is outperforming expectations in Philadelphia this season. He never should have started games for them in the first place.
The Red Sox, apparently, didn’t see enough out of him in 2022 to keep him on the roster. In their defense, a 3.83 ERA isn’t irreplaceable. However, the other pitchers they have on the roster and within the organization look like they aren’t delivering what Strahm has for his new ball club.
The bullpen has become an increasingly bigger problem for the Red Sox with a few guys still getting the job done. Insert a lefty like Strahm in there over Bleier and we’d feel much better in those late innings.
More Red Sox news and views
manual