With the MLB trade deadline looming like the gray clouds that have mired the start of the last two games at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox have some decisions to make. Do they need to look at the starting pitcher market?
After last night’s performance by Andrew Miller – a start that had many in the Twittersphere giving the lefty directions back to Pawtucket - many Sox fans are hoping that general manager Theo Epstein entertains a deal for a starting pitcher. Over The Monster echoed those thoughts after Miller’s shaky 7 runs on 9 hits outing:
“How awful was Andrew Miller this evening? Let’s just say I hope the names “Hiroki Kuroda” or even “Ubaldo Jimenez” come up in the next couple of days."
The Sox would be okay with jettisoning Miller if Clay Buchholz was closer to returning. Buchholz told reporters on Monday that he was feeling at “80 percent,” which is encouraging after some lackluster sessions in the days prior. But he still is anticipating more simulated sessions and a conditioning stint in the minors.
But the Red Sox pitching staff has been more injury prone than the MBTA this season, and what happens if Buchholz has a set back with his lower back strain – an injury that could easily turn into a plethora of overcompensation injuries? The Sox will either take their chances with the lineup they have, or need to jump into the trading race.
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