Finding the Right Swingman
Michael Wacha signed a one year $7 million contract with the Boston Red Sox and the team hopes he will provide depth out of the Bullpen or the Starting Rotation
In 2021, pitchers who have flexibility to pitch in the starting rotation and bullpen are quickly becoming essential to MLB teams. For years, the idea of a swingman has toiled around the league, with a long-reliever necessary to fill in as needed for injury or depth. Teams are beginning to prioritize multi-inning pitchers over the conventional “one and done,” because they have proven to help teams go through the grind of a 162 game MLB season. While they may not fill the flashiest role on a ballclub, the long reliever is becoming a style that gives teams added flexibility and increasing strategy for eager managers hoping to get the most out of their pitchers. Michael Wacha was just signed to a one year seven-million-dollar deal with the Boston Red Sox that gives the team added flexibility and a proven innings-eater to stabilize the pitching staff.
Michael Wacha has bounced around the MLB since he left the Cardinals in the 2019 offseason. Wacha’s ERA hasn’t always looked pretty; he pitched five seasons above a 4.00 ERA but has remained durable through his eight-year MLB career and is known for a devastating change-up when he is on his game. Red Sox fans may remember Wacha from the 2013 World Series, in which the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals in six games to win the World Series after the city bonded together in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing. Wacha hopes to recapture his early season success with the Red Sox, who need innings after losing Eduardo Rodriguez to the Minnesota Twins.
The signing of Wacha is not the flashiest move of the off-season, nor should it be the last for the Red Sox. Considering Andrew Heaney received a one year eight-million-dollar contract from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the contract for the new Sox righty doesn’t look too bad, especially considering the putrid season that Heaney had. If Wacha carves out a similar bullpen role that the Red Sox wanted from Matt Andriese, then they could expect more innings from Tanner Houck, who will figure out how to stay effective in the later innings. Or, if the team decides that Garrett Whitlock can handle the workload of being a full-time Starting Pitcher, they can add another depth starter or two and then roll with what they’ve got. Unfortunately, Red Sox fans, it isn’t looking too good to sign a big-name Starting Pitcher, especially after Max Scherzer took a monster AAV contract from the New York Mets. Aside from pitching depth, Kyle Schwarber would be a welcome return and a starting Second Baseman are on the wish list.
Even though it may not seem like it, the Red Sox are in a great position to contend in the present and future, and a potential free agent splash or two could improve the team’s depth. Chris Taylor or Javy Baez may be expensive but would improve the offensive potency of a team that made the ALCS. Another bullpen arm or two could ease Matt Barnes’ transition back into the closer’s role, but there will be low expectations after the 2nd half that he had this past season. The Red Sox will be competitive in 2022 and the team needs to improve their overall depth and not rely on a few bats or arms, to prove that 2021 was not a fluke.
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