Clay Buchholz - Is he worth the 2016 option?

[Dojji]

 

Another good one.

[Kimmi]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]407[/ATTACH]

 

Geez, and here I let you all waste my time almost every day.

[a700hitter]

I guess that it is still a no-brainer.

• It looks like the Red Sox may exercise their $13.5MM option on Clay Buchholzfor 2017 after all, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes in his weekly notes column. Since losing his rotation job earlier this season, Buchholz has pitched well out of the bullpen, posting a 3.05 ERA and holding hitters to a .506 OPS over 20 2/3 relief innings, though he has also stepped out of the pen to deliver some quality spot starts. The Sox are one of the few teams wealthy enough to afford $13.5MM for a swingman, and they could prefer having a familiar option on hand should they face more rotation struggles in 2017.
  

[mvp 78]

Well, duh!

[moonslav59]

I still think they shouldn't have used Buch Friday night, so he would be available for longer duty, say...in the 5th inning last night.

[Bellhorn04]

I still think they shouldn't have used Buch Friday night, so he would be available for longer duty, say...in the 5th inning last night.

 

I was thinking about this too (it was actually Saturday he was used). The only way it makes sense is if they intend to use him as our right-handed set-up guy - we certainly appear to need one.

[Kimmi]

Well, duh!

 

Woohoo! Another year of Clay debates!

[Wade Boggs]

I think IMO Buchholz will split the time with Ziegler for the eighth inning. If he pitches good the Red Sox will be teased BIGTIME to pick up that option. I would pick it up and trade him, but it doesn't have to be in the winter, maybe sometime in spring training unless you get a prospect you like. If Buchholz pitches good in the last month they pick it up. If not see you later.

[Kimmi]

I think IMO Buchholz will split the time with Ziegler for the eighth inning. If he pitches good the Red Sox will be teased BIGTIME to pick up that option. I would pick it up and trade him, but it doesn't have to be in the winter, maybe sometime in spring training unless you get a prospect you like. If Buchholz pitches good in the last month they pick it up. If not see you later.

 

Buchholz does pique the interest of other teams. If he pitches well down the stretch, there are other teams who would be willing to trade for him, and his contract would be very reasonable.

 

That said, he might serve us better as a depth option.

[Bellhorn04]

If the option is exercised Clay will have outdone himself, by pitching well for half of a half of a season this time. The guy is a magician.

[Wade Boggs]

If the option is exercised Clay will have outdone himself, by pitching well for half of a half of a season this time. The guy is a magician.

 

Morris the cat 9Lives

[southpaw777]

Am i the only one that wanted to see clay start another game? I thought the pen did him good. He looked a lot better and I figured maybe they rode that for at least one more start to see if he had a nice one month run in him...

[Slasher9]

Am i the only one that wanted to see clay start another game? I thought the pen did him good. He looked a lot better and I figured maybe they rode that for at least one more start to see if he had a nice one month run in him...

 

i was completely on board leaving him in the rotation. his last couple of starts he looked like the clay that goes on a 12-1 / 1.98 ERA run......

[SoxnCycles]

i was completely on board leaving him in the rotation. his last couple of starts he looked like the clay that goes on a 12-1 / 1.98 ERA run......

 

Considering how Wright and E-rod looked in their last starts, it's not out of the question.

[mvp 78]

i was completely on board leaving him in the rotation. his last couple of starts he looked like the clay that goes on a 12-1 / 1.98 ERA run......

 

So about that option that nobody but me thought would get picked up...

[Slasher9]

So about that option that nobody but me thought would get picked up...

 

i'm still not sure if you were trolling when you said it would be picked up. but if he gets a few more starts and pitches like good clay....it just may happen. if he doesnt get a couple/few more great starts i doubt it's picked up.

[mvp 78]

i'm still not sure if you were trolling when you said it would be picked up. but if he gets a few more starts and pitches like good clay....it just may happen. if he doesnt get a couple/few more great starts i doubt it's picked up.

 

I wasn't trolling. I was being honest in my assessment. If I make a sarcastic comment, there's usually some truth embedded in it.

 

Honestly, I don't want Buchholz back, but I know for certain that the FO will bring him back.

[dustcover]

If the Sox can get some real value to fill a team need, or complement what already exists, via a trade, particularly to a NL team, where Buchholtz with a fresh start would flourish, I say go for it.

[sk7326]

What is annoying about Buchholz is that the option is such a low price - that bringing him back won't really impact their budget at all. Now he burns a major league roster spot - which might make you sad. But the team is going to carry 12 or 13 pitchers next season anyway. If Clay just managed to be a pretty good swingman - the Sox'd get a perfectly reasonable return on the salary.

[mvp 78]

If the Sox can get some real value to fill a team need, or complement what already exists, via a trade, particularly to a NL team, where Buchholtz with a fresh start would flourish, I say go for it.

 

A lot of people said over last offseason "pick up his option and trade him." It never happened then and it won't happen now.

[dustcover]

What is annoying about Buchholz is that the option is such a low price - that bringing him back won't really impact their budget at all. Now he burns a major league roster spot - which might make you sad. But the team is going to carry 12 or 13 pitchers next season anyway. If Clay just managed to be a pretty good swingman - the Sox'd get a perfectly reasonable return on the salary.

 

Which makes him an even more attractive trade chip. Some NL team might envision him as a low-cost potential starter in their rotation!

 

[mvp 78]

Which makes him an even more attractive trade chip. Some NL team might envision him as a low-cost potential starter in their rotation!

 

 

So $13M plus a prospect to get Buchholz? Nah. He has more value to the Sox.

[sk7326]

Which makes him an even more attractive trade chip. Some NL team might envision him as a low-cost potential starter in their rotation!

 

 

if you pick up his option - it is not to be a trade chip, you have to hope he can help us. And I do think he can largely.

[cp176]

if you pick up his option - it is not to be a trade chip, you have to hope he can help us. And I do think he can largely.

 

if he continues to throw like he is currently, I think that he can help as well. i do think that he would profit from a little role definition though. it would help him and us.

[moonslav59]

A lot of people said over last offseason "pick up his option and trade him." It never happened then and it won't happen now.

 

I was one of those people, but I never claimed the Sox would do it- only that they should.

[Wade Boggs]

John Farrell announced a short while ago that Buchholz and Ziegler will share the 8 th inning set-up role. They each will pitch depending on in game matchups..So Clay Buchholz can put that on his Bio that he is a setup man as well. If they don't pick up his option.

[southpaw777]

What is annoying about Buchholz is that the option is such a low price - that bringing him back won't really impact their budget at all. Now he burns a major league roster spot - which might make you sad. But the team is going to carry 12 or 13 pitchers next season anyway. If Clay just managed to be a pretty good swingman - the Sox'd get a perfectly reasonable return on the salary.

 

A swingman for 13m? I think we could do much of the same for cheaper. If Clay isnt in the rotation, the 13m option really doesnt make sense...

[User Name]

It's not as unreasonable as you'd think in the current MLB economic landscape.

[moonslav59]

The real question is, what else can we get for $13M?

 

If nothing better, then Buch is an option.

[mvp 78]

The real question is, what else can we get for $13M?

 

If nothing better, then Buch is an option.

 

There were better options last offseason, there will be better options this offseason. However, I don't think picking up the option precludes them from grabbing another FA arm or two. If they don't load up in the pen, they are fools.