The Boston Red Sox spent the offseason adding to their starting pitching depth. They traded for left-handed ace Garrett Crochet, and signed Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval. All of that coincides with Lucas Giolito returning from injury.
It seems like there are too many mouths to feed, right? Well, the New York Yankees would love to have that problem right now.
The Yankees' Luis Gil suffered an injury that will make him miss the first portion of the season. Then, Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery. Luckily for them, they signed Max Fried in the offseason. However, there's no clear idea for their starting five as they scramble to fill in the holes.
The Red Sox have had a few issues as well. Brayan Bello and Giolito won't be ready for the start of the season. Meanwhile, Sandoval is out for a while (although the Sox knew he would be before signing him). Kutter Crawford is also going to miss some time with knee soreness.
And that brings us to why that depth is so important. The Red Sox rotation features Crochet, Buehler, Giolito, and Tanner Houck. It's expected that Bello would be the fifth guy. Then Crawford would either be inserted into the bullpen or become the sixth man in a six-man rotation.
Boston Red Sox Triple-A pitching depth highlighted by Yankees' woes
So, who takes the fifth and (potentially) sixth spots? The Sox have myriad options to choose from — their Triple-A depth is ridiculous.
Richard Fitts gave a stellar performance in his MLB debut last year. He was expected to start the year in Worcester but has played well this spring and could take one of those spots. Quinn Preister looked great in his Red Sox debut last season. His fastball velocity is up this year, and he's another strong candidate. Cooper Criswell was serviceable for Boston last year and shouldn't be overlooked as an option who can give the team five solid innings when needed.
Zach Penrod was a reliever in Boston last year but spent most of his minor-league career as a starter. Could they build him back up into that role?
Richard Fitts, 2Ks in the 1st pic.twitter.com/Asbl2UBT0z
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 9, 2025
You can even look beyond Opening Day. Injuries are going to happen, and clubs need to have a lot of backup plans. A lack of depth has absolutely demolished the Red Sox in past seasons. We're already seeing it wreak havoc on the Yankees, and spring training isn't even over.
Hunter Dobbins was phenomenal in 2024 and made his way to Triple-A. He's impressed this spring, despite being optioned to minor league camp recently. After a few more starts in Worcester, Dobbins could be ready for Boston sooner rather than later.
Shane Drohan is back in the organization, and there's still an upside to be intrigued by. Grant Gambrell has been a solid arm in Triple-A and deserves an opportunity at some point.
Even veteran minor leaguers, such as Sean Newcomb, Matt Moore, and Michael Fulmer (although Fulmer and Moore work out of the bullpen now), could be options in a pinch.
The Red Sox have been caught with their pants down too many times when it comes to depth. They're seeing it happen to their biggest rival right now. It's great to see they're finally prepared should the worst happen.