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The starting pitcher upgrade pool just got reduced by one. This morning,
James Shields agreed to a 4-year, $75 million deal with the San Diego Padres. The
good news for the Red Sox is that Shields will toil in the far-off National League West. The
bad news is that a 30+-start, 200-inning stalwart is off the table. If Boston actually does ever acquire a number one starter, the choices continue to narrow. Shields has had double-digit wins in each of the last eight years—throwing at least 200 innings in each of those seasons. His career ERA is 3.72. As we have said since November, Shields could have been a relatively cheap way to upgrade what is a mediocre Red Sox rotation.
