Last night's performance by
Clay Buchholz brings into sharp relief the dilemma facing the Red Sox. After
partially solving their need for right-handed power with the acquisition of
Yoenis Cespedes, it's pretty clear that 2015 will be a disaster without adding
veteran starting pitching. It's completely unrealistic to think we can rely on the likes of
Joe Kelly,
Rubby De La Rosa,
Brandon Workman,
Allen Webster and
Anthony Ranaudo to slot in behind our new 'ace' Buchholz. The supply of veteran starters is admittedly better than that of right-handed power bats, but it's unclear whether the choices are appreciably better than
Jon Lester and
John Lackey. Most often mentioned as an option is 34-year old
James Shields—who is having a very good year in Kansas City, but is not the pitcher he once was. The Phillies might make
Cole Hamels available via the trade route, but the already-signed lefty would cost the team almost $22 million a year through 2018. There are other possibilities, but few that would come cheaper than Lester or not cost a bevy of prospects. This winter will be a critical moment of truth for the future direction of your
Carmine Hose—they will need
both arms and bats to be a serious contender in 2015 and beyond.
