Next year, you could have Seabold/Whitlock/Houck/Pivetta all trying to be squeezed into the rotation. If ERod doesn't re-sign, that would leave 4 guys scrambling for 2 spots.
Sale
Eovaldi
Free Agent
Whitlock
Houck
@SoxProspects
Big Joe Davis went 3-for-5 in Greenville's 7-4 loss last night, his first official game with the Drive. The 24-year-old first baseman was recently promoted after slashing .333/.384/.577 with ten home runs for Salem.
Budget Niko Kavadas is doing his thing.
Doesn't that reduce the benefit of switching from LHP to RHP or vice versa. Isn't it to the Sox' advantage to switch between LHP and RHP in a piggyback situation?
In a playoff setting, upgrading your 4th and 5th starters doesn't really matter anyway. I agree that bolstering the relieving corps could be a better bet.
I also just don't like Gray because his stats away from home are atrocious. He has a weird reverse Coors split.
I was just thinking about the combo of going from Sale's nasty LHP slider to Houck's nasty RHP slider. That could give an opposing manager fits when trying to make out a lineup.
I don't honestly care if he's not "stretched out." As long as he can go every 5 days, he can come up and provide more than the bottom of the rotation currently is. I think it would be a huge boost for this team.
Rios and Workman should be gone. Andriese should still have a spot since he can throw a lot of innings and save the pen. I'd have him as the 13th pitcher on the squad until the playoffs.