They were trying to read the tea leaves and assume that signing Porcello ahead of time would save money in the long run. They only did this since they screwed the pooch with the Lester negotiations. Not a good look, imo.
I'm just filled with such sadness because I know in my heart of hearts that they are going to pick up Buchholz's option again...
I agree. The same can be said for not needing to pick up Buchholz's option. There were a bunch of other guys available and it is quite evident that the Sox need new blood in this rotation.
I agree that it's 4th slot in the rotation caliber.
I agree that we didn't need to lock him up before last season.
I was just stating that he's the 2nd best guy in the rotation this year and that he has a chance to earn the contract.
Porcello's ERA is down to 3.81 and his WHIP is 1.08. He's the second best pitcher on the team right now. If he can pitch like this for the next few years, his contract will be well worth it.
His numbers are skewed because of the last two weeks where he's hitting 137/200/196. He's pulled out of slumps before and this isn't really unexpected. I like Shaw, but don't see him as an irreplaceable guy. To me, he's a spot holder until one of the younger IFers is ready. A good comp for him would be Brian Daubach.