This past MLB offseason, the Boston Red Sox decided to roll the dice on veteran starting pitcher Michael Wacha.
The two sides agreed to a one-year deal, and at the time of the signing, most Red Sox fans didn’t chalk it up as a very exciting move.
However, the terms of the deal indicated that the Red Sox saw something in Wacha that fans didn’t.
Boston gave him a one-year deal worth $7 million, a very surprising salary given the fact that he made $3 million while posting some very underwhelming numbers in the 2021 season
Source confirms: Red Sox are giving Michael Wacha a 1 year, $7M deal, as @alexspeier said.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) November 27, 2021
The Red Sox have had a disappointing season so far, but as things have turned out, Wacha has been a bright spot.
He has vastly exceeded fans’ expectations and has made Boston’s $7 million investment in him look wise.
The 30-year-old is currently on the shelf due to injury, but he should be back soon.
Michael Wacha threw a bullpen. Will throw sim game tomorrow. He should be back when his 15 days on the IL expires
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) May 15, 2022
When he does return, he’ll be able to make his sixth start of the year and hopefully pick up where he left off before his IL stint.
But here’s the big question: Will his season get wasted by the Red Sox?
Wacha’s Season At A Glance
Wacha is five starts into his season, and so far, all of his outings have been impressive.
He opened the year by tossing 4.1 innings of one-run ball against the Detroit Tigers.
The Red Sox lost that game 3-1, but since then, they’ve won all of Wacha’s starts.
In his second outing, he tossed five scoreless.
Over his next two starts combined, he allowed just three runs over 11 innings of work.
And in his most recent appearance, he posted five shutout frames for the second time this season.
Altogether, he’s got a tiny 1.38 ERA, 290 ERA+, 0.92 WHIP, and 1.4 bWAR.
His FIP (3.93) indicates that luck has been on his side so far, but there’s no denying that his results have been impressive, especially considering the fact that he had a 5.11 ERA from the years 2019 to 2021.
Will Boston Take Advantage Of Wacha’s Year?
The Red Sox have a 13-21 record entering play on Monday.
That’s the worst mark in the AL East, and the team is 12 games back of the first-place New York Yankees.
AL E Standings:
Yankees: 25-9
Rays: 21-14 ……. 4.5 GB
Jays: 18-17 …….. 7.5 GB
O's: 14-21 …….. 11.5 GB
Red Sox: 13-21 … 12 GB— PJ – Yankees fan since the 1950's (@originaluyf1950) May 15, 2022
There is still time for the Red Sox to turn things around, but there’s no doubt that it’s been a disastrous season for them so far.
Remember, Boston went 92-70 last season and earned a trip to the ALCS.
For that reason, there were high hopes for the club going into this year.
The Red Sox are in danger of underachieving in a big way.
The good news is that they just split a two-game set with the Atlanta Braves and followed it up with a series win over the Texas Rangers, so they have certainly been showing signs of life lately.
But they’re going to have to keep it up, and a little win streak would likely do wonders for their mojo.
Time will tell if Wacha’s return helps pump some life into the Red Sox.
They could certainly use it.
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