The Boston Red Sox have largely outperformed their expectations this year.
After winning just 78 games last season and finishing in last place in the AL East, the Red Sox own a record of 69-63 and sit 5.5 games back of the third and final Wild Card spot.
However, there have been issues that have plagued the team this year.
One of those issues is their starting pitching, or lack thereof.
As of now, Boston only has one truly consistent starter, that being young right-hander Brayan Bello.
On Twitter, one Red Sox analyst pointed out just how much the team needs starting pitching for 2024.
Right now the Red Sox have:
Bello – good
Sale – on a pitch count and not going deep anyway
Houck – on a pitch count and not going deep anyway
Paxton – burned out, not going deep
Kutter – ineffective after 80 pitches so he doesn’t go deepYou can’t navigate 162 games without SPs…
— Boston Sports Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) August 29, 2023
Aside from Bello, the Red Sox are pretty thin in their rotation.
Chris Sale and Tanner Houck are both on limited pitch counts and not going deep into ballgames.
In addition, James Paxton and Kutter Crawford aren’t making it too deep into games either.
Often times, this puts extra stress on a team’s bullpen, even if there are several pitchers in the pen who could throw multiple innings.
Such has been the case this season for the Sox.
There are a lot of concerns with Sale’s health, which means that Bello is the only sure thing in their rotation for 2024.
The free-agent class this winter will have a bevy of starting pitchers for the Red Sox to choose from should they decide to upgrade their rotation that way.
Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, Blake Snell, Lucas Giolito, Julio Urias, Jordan Montgomery, and others will be available.
A few rotation arms could benefit them next season.
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