A Plethora of Pitching

With so many questions regarding position players this off season, many have overlooked just how strong the Red Sox pitching staff has become.

It seems only fitting to start with the starting rotation. The Red Sox begin the 2006 season with seven eligible candidates to fill a five man rotation. With an ideal mix of veteran leadership and strong young arms this group seems poised to cause match up problems for opposing teams.
Curt Schilling will most likely start Opening Day for the BoSox. He will be looking to rebound from his abysmal 2005 season. The Sox Ace reports feeling nothing abnormal in his right ankle, which was the cause of his troubles last year. This has allowed him to return to his normal training regimen and the result is a leaner, happier and healthier No. 1 starter.

Following Schilling in the number two spot will be Josh Beckett. The sometimes troubled fireballer looks for a new start in Boston. He is a lock for at least 150 strikeouts and an ERA around 3.50. This should quickly endear him to the Fenway faithful, giving him the positive relationship with fans that he never was able to find in Florida. Beckett’s best years seem to be ahead of him and a better attitude and fresh outlook should certainly help him reach that potential.

The number three slot will be filled by the big lefty David Wells. Although many had written him off in Boston after he requested a trade that would bring him closer to his San Diego home, Boomer seems content to stay after a very positive meeting with Theo Epstein during Spring Training. Much like the Manny Ramirez situation, the team was simply unable to reach a deal that would have brought equal value back to the club in return. Every year the outspoken southpaw seems to rise above some form of adversity and this season should be no different. Though he has indicated that this will be his last year.

Another pitcher who’s name has come up in trade rumors recently is Matt Clement. The club’s number four starter will apparently stay put as well. He looks to prove this year that he is no longer affected by the unfortunate incident that saw him get drilled in the head by a line drive halfway through last year. After turning in a stellar first half, he was unable to duplicate that success after the All Star break. Clement should see favorable match ups this year in the No. 4 spot so look for him to rebound and once again achieve double digits in the win column.

Rounding out the rotation is Tim Wakefield, a true professional. At this point in his career he demands nothing less than a starting role. For years the Red Sox moved him around from starter to reliever and even using him as an emergency closer. He has been assured though that his position is safe and by all accounts he has earned that. He has always ended up at the end of the year with more wins than losses and that’s more than can be said of most number fives in baseball.

This leaves Bronson Arroyo and Jonathan Papelbon as the odd men out. Both young men possess the repertoire of pitches and the stamina necessary to be starting games, but there is simply no more room at the Inn. They will both go to the bullpen, but it doesn’t hurt to have two viable options to start games. Especially if one of Boston’s three 40 year old starters should go down with an injury at some point this season. For now though, Arroyo and Papelbon look to bolster a revamped core of solid relievers.

The bullpen will see the return of closer Keith Foulke and setup man Mike Timlin. Foulke looks to put his rocky ’05 campaign behind him, and like Curt Schilling, show why he was so dominant in `04. Timlin however is coming off of one of his better years in which he was the glue that held the bullpen together.

Joining Timlin, Foulke, Papelbon and Arroyo will be some new faces. Boston signed two solid free agents in Rudy Seanez and Julian Tavarez. Both middle relief pitchers with solid histories, they should be dependable again this season. Tavarez is coming off a season that saw him pitch in 74 games and record only 19 walks. While Seanez last year went 7 – 1 with a very respectable 2.69 ERA. Also, coming over from Cleveland along with Coco Crisp, is David Riske. He was a stable presence out of the pen for the Tribe last season and should provide help in the late innings while allowing Timlin to rest more this year.

Given the quality of the starting rotation and the presumed ability of the bullpen to hold a lead, the Red Sox will be a much improved team this year. Improved pitching and an upgraded defense should lead to fewer errors and a more stable roster. Boston will need everything to come together if they hope to compete with the Bronx Bombers in the AL East. The Yankees will again have a starting line up full of dangerous hitters from top to bottom.