I think Cora and the Sox are doing a decent job being fair to everyone while also getting a look at some guys. It's one of the reasons I still think Cora is a good manager.
Maybe so, but go back and look at some good Red Sox teams of the past, even World Series champs, and you'll find that the #3 starter usually did not have great numbers.
Believe it or not, Pivetta has been an average pitcher, ERA-wise, with the Red Sox, with an ERA+ of 102.
An average starter is, by definition, a #3 starter, on an average team.
On a good team, probably a #4.
And yet his 2022 OPS+ is exactly 2 points lower than his 2019 OPS+.
You have to keep in mind that the baseballs are not juiced now like they were a few years ago, and offense is down period.
Some numbers for Bogey for 2018-2022, leaving out the shortened 2020:
OPS+
2018 135
2019 139
2021 129
2022 137
wRC+
2018 133
2019 141
2021 130
2022 139
fWAR
2018 4.4
2019 5.9
2021 4.4
2022 5.9
Conclusion: amazingly consistent and not in decline.
Devers and Bogaerts both have higher OPS+ than 2021. I keep pointing this out to moon. He keeps agreeing, and then going back to saying they've declined.