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| M. IVINS/BOSTON RED SOX |
One of the key pieces coming back to Boston in
The Great Punto Trade was right-hander
Rubby De La Rosa. Even after Tommy John surgery, the youngster is projected to be a top-of-the-rotation starter in the not-too-distant future. However, as is typical in the Red Sox organization, players are left to stew in the minors far too long. The logjam in the Boston rotation and bullpen don't help either. After making multiple pitching acquisitions this off-season (
Ryan Dempster, Joel Hanrahan,
Koji Uehara), the path to the big leagues is severely limited for De La Rosa in 2013. Nonetheless, as
Fangraph's Mike Newman points out, if any starter falters or is injured early,
De La Rosa would be the perfect insertion into the rotation. Keep a close eye on this kid in the Spring. If he's out-pitching a bunch of other arms, he may be at Fenway even sooner.
