The Boston Red Sox pitchers and catchers reported today and with that, their starting rotation for the 2024 season is expected to include Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, and Tanner Houck. There have been talks as of late about the possibility of trading Kenley Jansen which would open up $16 million in the Red Sox payroll as they are looking to lower it for this season. The one thing missing from their starting rotation right now is a left-handed pitcher, and ironically there are two talented ones still available and they are expected to sign soon, they are Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery has been linked to the Red Sox all offseason due to his wife doing her clinical in Boston. The expectation is moving Jansen to free up that money may be the move needed so they can sign Montgomery. There’s another pitcher available the Red Sox should look into adding and he comes at the league minimum with an incentive base contract and that is Trevor Bauer. If the Red Sox can add Montgomery and Bauer their rotation would immediately go to a second-tier rotation in all of baseball and may look something along the lines of Jordan Montgomery, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, Trevor Bauer, and Kutter Crawford, if something goes wrong or doesn’t work out or there’s an injury that now allows Pivetta to slide into the rotation and gives this team depth in the pitching department. Let’s take a look at that rotation and the numbers they produced in 2023 and for their career.
Ideal 2024 Red Sox Starting Rotation By The Numbers
Jordan Montgomery
Last season Montgomery made 32 starts going 10-11 with a 3.20 ERA, a 3.56 FIP, a 1.19 WHIP, and 166 strikeouts in 188.2 innings between his time with the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. For his career, he is 38-34 with a 3.68 ERA, a 3.75 FIP, a 1.20 WHIP, a 1.1 HR/9, a 2.5 BB/9, and an 8.4 K/9.
Brayan Bello
Bello last season made 28 starts going 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA, a 4.54 FIP, a 1.33 WHIP, and 132 strikeouts in 157 innings. Over his career, he is 14-19 with a 4.37 ERA, a 4.11 FIP, a 1.45 WHIP, a 1.0 HR/9, a 3.0 BB/9, and a 7.6 K/9. Bello could make his big leap this season in his third year and become a breakout pitcher for this Red Sox team with the glimpses shown from last season.
Lucas Giolito
Giolito had a rough 2023 bouncing around between the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Guardians making 33 starts going 8-15 with a 4.88 ERA, a 5.27 FIP, a 1.31 WHIP, and 204 strikeouts in 184.1 innings. He had a great start to the season but tapered off, the expectation is that new Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey will channel Giolito and get him back to his former self. In his career, he is 61-62 with a 4.43 ERA, a 4.44 FIP, a 1.25 WHIP, a 1.5 HR/9, a 3.4 BB/9, and a 9.6 K/9
Trevor Bauer
Bauer last season pitcher in Japan in their Eastern and Central League where he combined to make 24 appearances going 11-4 with a 2.59 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and 160 strikeouts in 156.2 innings. For his big league career, he is 83-69 with a 3.79 ERA, a 3.87 FIP, a 1.24 WHIP, a 1.1 HR/9, a 3.4 BB/9, and a 9.8 K/9. Bauer has said he’d like to sign for the league minimum show what he can do and be paid based on incentives which for that money seems like a no-brainer for the Red Sox to take on.
Kutter Crawford
Crawford last season made 31 appearances with 23 of those coming as starts. In the 23 games he started he went 6-7 with a 4.51 ERA, a 3.80 FIP, a 1.19 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts in 107.2 innings. His career as a starter he is 7-13 with a 5.05 ERA, a 4.14 FIP, a 1.28 WHIP, a 1.3 HR/9, a 2.8 BB/9, and a 9.2 K/9. If it doesn’t work out with Crawford that opens the opportunity for Pivetta to slide into the number five starter role and Crawford could go back to the bullpen but Crawford seemed to take a step forward last season as a starter and deserves a chance in this rotation.
