Highly Regarded Sox Staff Has Some Question Marks

Wednesday, 10 February 2010 21:00 Jess Coleman, ClassActSports.com, MLB Analyst

John Lackey was the big prize on the free agent market. The Yankees and Mets were certainly thought of as serious suitors, but the Red Sox swooped in and snagged Lackey after contract negotiations stalled with Jason Bay. The Red Sox rotation – now comprised of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz – is often regarded as one of the best staffs in the game. Between the arm in Boston and the depth in the Yankees starting rotation, we are in for an interesting AL East rivalry in 2010.

The Red Sox situation is a complex one. Although they have the best rotation on paper, they also have a lot of questions marks. Let’s take a closer look at the potential issues surrounding each of the pitchers.

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Jon Lester
Not only a spectacular story, but a spectacular pitcher as well. Lester has improved every year, lowering his walk total and increasing his strikeouts. Still improving and entering his prime at age 26, Lester is a sure thing in this rotation.

Josh Beckett
Nobody doubts this guy’s ability. A career ERA well under four, he strikes out a lot of batters and walks nearly any. However, he has had some trouble at times, such as 2008, when he had a 4.03 ERA. With his contract ready to expire, the pressure is on for Beckett to deliver. How well will he respond? Guess we will have to wait and see.

John Lackey
Lackey will make his first appearance as an AL East pitcher this season. He is an explosive, yet durable pitcher. He gives up very few home runs and led the league in ERA in 2007. The big question will be his ability to stop the Yankees, in which he has not been successful against in his career (4.66 ERA). He also doesn’t keep the ball on the ground nearly as much as Lester or Beckett, which is a must in a ballpark like Fenway.

Daisuke Matsuzaka
In 2008, Dice-K had a 2.90 ERA, but also led the league in walks and hits per nine innings. Exhausting his arm in the World Baseball Classic, he was never fully healthy from the beginning of the season. He will be 29 years old this season. It’s hard to know what to expect from Dice-K, who has a history of being wild and getting hurt. Yet, no one doubts his potential, and he sure does have something to prove to his fans after a disappointing season in 2009.

Clay Buchholz
Although his numbers don’t show it, Buchholz was very impressive last year. Especially considering he was only there to fill in for Wakefield. Buchholz was impressive in various starts throughout the season. Let's also not forget, he is a year and a half removed from pitching a no-hitter. Buchholz will look to solidify his spot in the rotation this season. He will only be 25, and is only going to get better.

These starters have all proven they can succeed and that is why this rotation is so highly thought of. But nearly all of these pitchers – with the exception of Jon Lester – have something to prove going into the 2010 season.

jess.coleman@classactsports.com
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