Article: The Red Sox Rotation Has The Depth To Succeed Over 162 Games

[Alex Mayes]

It could be argued that the Red Sox have lacked the best starting pitching depth in the last few seasons. Craig Breslow set out on a mission to turn the team's biggest weakness into one of its biggest strengths. 

The Boston Red Sox have been busy this offseason, at least on the pitching front. It’s no secret that the starting rotation has grown in numbers and strength thanks to three new faces who will don the home whites in 2025: Garrett Crochet, Patrick Sandoval, and Walker Buehler. All three add depth to a stellar starting rotation for the first half of the 2024 season but began to fall apart post-All-Star break. However, Sandoval is not expected to join the big league club until the second half of the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Let’s look at the projection for the starting rotation and the depth options that will likely make spot starts during the 2025 season.

1. Garrett Crochet
Crochet should be the Opening Day starter for the Red Sox, considering the price paid to trade for him. Ideally, the Red Sox will lock him into a long-term contract before spring training begins to solidify the top of the rotation for years to come.

2. Tanner Houck
Had the Red Sox not traded for Crochet, Houck would have been the Opening Day starter. His 2024 season proved that he has the stuff to be a number one on a contending team, and it would be shocking to see him take a step back this year. Houck finally found his footing last season and should continue to be a major impact arm in 2025.

3. Brayan Bello
I debated between Bello and Walker Buehler for the third spot in the rotation but ultimately landed on Bello as he is here for longer and is a homegrown talent. Bello was the bright spot of the second half of the season after a brief reset in July and looks primed to continue that success in 2025, making that extension look even more team-friendly.

4. Walker Buehler
Buehler adds a veteran presence to a fairly young starting rotation, bringing in a winning mentality and championship pedigree. He’s looking to build off a strong post-season performance and play his way to a long-term free-agency deal in 2026 if both parties don’t exercise the mutual option.

5. Lucas Giolito
Giolito is coming off a lost season after requiring an internal bracing procedure last spring, and he’s looking to bound back with a vengeance. He adds another veteran voice to the clubhouse and has a semi-recent track record of success when healthy. Yes, his drop-off in performance in 2023 was severe enough that he was DFA’d, but that can likely be blamed on the elbow injury that finally came to a head last spring training. Look for Giolito to be a man on a mission and prove to the Red Sox and the entire league that he’s a name to pay attention to.

6. Kutter Crawford
You should be in a good situation if Crawford is your fifth starter, let alone your sixth. His home run totals were through the roof last year, but he’s an innings eater and can likely be counted on to take the ball every six days and give you a shot at winning the ball game, as long as the ball stays in the yard. Don’t be surprised if Crawford is moved to the bullpen once the team decides that a six-man rotation isn’t in the cards for most of the season.

7. Cooper Criswell
Criswell, along with the next two on this list, are kind of interchangeable here. All of them figure to be called up throughout the season and then sent back down as starters return from injury or spot starts are no longer necessary. Instead of relying on pitchers like Criswell to take the ball every five days, though, the Red Sox are in a much better situation that allows him to start in Triple-A Worcester and continue to grow as a pitcher while knowing that he’s only a phone call away should anyone need an extra day of rest.

8. Richard Fitts
Richard Fitts was the surprising starting pitcher of the 2024 season. After a late-season call-up, he carried a scoreless streak into the season's final game and seemed to impress Alex Cora and the front office. Fitts will likely begin the season at Triple-A Worcester but should be used as a spot starter when extra days of rest are necessary during long stretches of few off days. He will likely be the first name called up should any of the five pitchers above him go down with an injury. He has proven that he is more than capable of being a contributing big-league pitcher, so we should see quite a bit of him in 2025.

9. Quinn Priester
I debated flipping Fitts and Priester on this list because both offer similar upsides. Still, I think that to start the season, Fitts will be the first name called up from Triple A. Priester, in my opinion, has a higher ceiling than Fitts and will likely surpass him on the depth chart at some point during 2025, but both are likely to be big time contributors when needed. Spot starts are a way of life in the MLB now, and Priester has just enough experience to show that he can take the ball when necessary. Don’t be surprised to see him flip-flopped with Fitts when spot starts, or opener-type games happen close together.

What once looked like a glaring weakness for the Red Sox looks much more like a huge strength going into the 2025 season. We all know that pitching injuries are unavoidable, so counting on all of these pitchers to stay healthy for a full season isn’t a smart thing to do, but knowing that the team has depth even beyond these nine starters should make most fans feel comfortable with the direction this team is beginning to head in.

View full article

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

How does Pivetta fit in? Since he is still unsigned, most true contenders truly trying to win would probably find a way to work out a multi-year deal to keep another starting pitcher in his prime on the staff.

But this is Boston, where he turned down a one-year Qualifying Offer of $21.05 million... which means the lowball Red Sox will now offer him something like $24 mil total for the next three years... just to show they're still interested.

Sam will just call it being "incredibly aggressive."

[harmony]

According to the FanGraphs WAR projections, pitching should not be a major concern for the Red Sox:

https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=3

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, harmony said:

According to the FanGraphs WAR projections, pitching should not be a major concern for the Red Sox:

https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=3

What about health? The injury juju is already ve, and well in Boston.

[moonslav59]

5 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

How does Pivetta fit in? Since he is still unsigned, most true contenders truly trying to win would probably find a way to work out a multi-year deal to keep another starting pitcher in his prime on the staff.

But this is Boston, where he turned down a one-year Qualifying Offer of $21.05 million... which means the lowball Red Sox will now offer him something like $24 mil total for the next three years... just to show they're still interested.

Sam will just call it being "incredibly aggressive."

Pivetta would likely be used from our pen, although I like him as a SP'er more than Crawford and maybe even Gio and Bello. He'd be too expensive for the pen.

Pass on Pivetta and hope someone signs him and we get a comp pick.

[moonslav59]

32 minutes ago, harmony said:

According to the FanGraphs WAR projections, pitching should not be a major concern for the Red Sox:

https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=3

I'm not worried about our rotation or rotation depth. 

I'm wondering which starter might be used in the pen.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

Pivetta would likely be used from our pen, although I like him as a SP'er more than Crawford and maybe even Gio and Bello. He'd be too expensive for the pen.

Pass on Pivetta and hope someone signs him and we get a comp pick.

I honestly think the Red Sox have been counting all winter on getting a compensatory pick for that Pivetta QO... in the very least to make up for one they'd have to give up to sign a guy like Bregman (maybe that's the hold-up).

In the very most, they'd not sign anyone as usual, keep the pick, and hope they're smart enough to nab another Anthony or Campbell.

[Old Red]

11 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Pivetta would likely be used from our pen, although I like him as a SP'er more than Crawford and maybe even Gio and Bello. He'd be too expensive for the pen.

Pass on Pivetta and hope someone signs him and we get a comp pick.

Pivetta would not be signed to be used out of the pen, Pivetta over Bello? Bello will not be going to the pen either.🙈🤭

[Old Red]

13 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I'm not worried about our rotation or rotation depth. 

I'm wondering which starter might be used in the pen.

Crochet.🤫

[moonslav59]

12 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I honestly think the Red Sox have been counting all winter on getting a compensatory pick for that Pivetta QO... in the very least to make up for one they'd have to give up to sign a guy like Bregman (maybe that's the hold-up).

In the very most, they'd not sign anyone as usual, keep the pick, and hope they're smart enough to nab another Anthony or Campbell.

We don't get a pick, if he doesn't sign by opening day, I believe.

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Pivetta would not be signed to be used out of the pen, Pivetta over Bello? Bello will not be going to the pen either.🙈🤭

I didn't say he would be. I just said I like him as a SP'er more than Crawford and Gio and "maybe" Bello.

We are not signing Pivetta. Zero chance.

[Old Red]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I'm not worried about our rotation or rotation depth. 

I'm wondering which starter might be used in the pen.

More times than not these things tend to work themselves out. I’m not counting on Gio to even be ready come opening day, so I think it’s a long shot that you have 6 healthy arms anyway. It’s a long season, and more than 6 starters will most likely be used along the way, so they’ll be plenty of opportunities to most likely to go around.

[moonslav59]

24 minutes ago, Old Red said:

More times than not these things tend to work themselves out. I’m not counting on Gio to even be ready come opening day, so I think it’s a long shot that you have 6 healthy arms anyway. It’s a long season, and more than 6 starters will most likely be used along the way, so they’ll be plenty of opportunities to most likely to go around.

6 is better than 5, and Gio is slated to be ready for day one of ST'ing.

What I see different is our 7-9 starters (Criswell, Fitts, Priester) look better, on paper, than any other year I can remember, and our 10-11 SP'ers (Fulmer and Dobbins) could be okay, too. Sandoval might be ready in AUG or SEPT.

Of course, this could all go South, quickly, especially with 2-3 injuries of a couple guys regressing substantially, but it's better having this kind of depth than not.