Buy Or Sell? Red Sox Will Make A Change To Starting Rotation This Month
BOSTON (CBS) - It was another not-so-successful outing for a member of the Red Sox' starting rotation on Monday night. Though the Sox did win the game, Joe Kelly allowed five runs over six innings, including a three-run first.
Kelly was able to recover, striking out 10 batters and limiting the damage, but with each passing day the rotation only looks worse. The unit ranks dead last in MLB with a 5.84 ERA among starters. They rank 24th in walks allowed, 16th in batting average against, and 22nd in WHIP. In terms of wins and losses, the rotation is just 6-6 on the year.
Though the Sox are still managing to win games, the rotation does not appear to be built for success. So, Adam Jones was asked on Monday night's "Buy Or Sell?" whether the Sox will make a change to their rotation by next month.
"I buy that," Jones said. "In the next month, I would love to see them make a change. And what that is, I don't know. Is it promoting a guy from Triple-A? Probably the most likely. Is it striking a deal in the next month? I would love to see it. And now there's added competition in trading for a starting pitcher, because you know St. Louis is going to do it. The Red Sox you hope do it, but you know St. Louis is going to do it now that Adam Wainwright is down with an injury."
Jones said that Wainwright's injury in St. Louis should push the Sox to get proactive in making a trade.
"I think they need to do more than just promoting someone," Jones said. "Their starting rotation is the worst in Major League Baseball. No one expected it to be great -- at least, I didn't. I expected it to be at least middle of the pack. The fact that they're the worst after a month? You've got another month to make a change, Ben Cherington."
The next question related to the back end of the pitching staff: Buy or sell Koji Uehara lasting the whole season as closer?
"He's going to remain the closer," Jones said. "I think between the reduced velocity and him basically only throwing split fastballs, there are certainly warning signs there. He's 40 years old -- I don't mind the contract one bit from the Red Sox. I think generally he's been pretty good. ... I just think Uehara's been fine, save for that appearance [in Baltimore]. He had actually been pretty good prior to that. So I think he survives the year as the closer for the Red Sox. And he better, because what's the alternative option?"
Listen to all of "Buy Or Sell?" below: