Red Sox Rumors: Boston Prioritizing Starting Pitching Depth

The Boston Red Sox priority when it comes to bolstering its big league roster in the days leading up to the July 31^st non-waiver trade deadline is finding starting pitching depth, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.

It is Bradford’s belief that, while improvements can always be made, it would seem internal solutions offer enough viable options that the Red Sox won’t have to overpay to fill holes this summer.

Beyond starting pitching, Bradford notes that the Red Sox could use upgrades in all areas including the outfield, infield, behind the plate and in their bullpen.

While the Red Sox do have veterans Daisuke Matsuzaka and Aaron Cook currently pitching in the minors, Bradford doesn’t believe the duo represents enough depth for Boston to let its guard down this summer.

At this point, Felix Doubront is leading the Red Sox in wins (6), ERA (3.75) and strikeouts (66). While this is good news for Doubront, as he was expected to be a back-of-the-rotation starter for the Red Sox entering the season, the same can’t be said for the rest of Boston’s staff.

Boston’s four other primary starters this season, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daniel Bard and Clay Buchholz, all have ERA’s north of 4.25. Lester and Beckett, who were expected to be Boston’s 1-2 punch this season, have disappointed. Buchholz has been abysmal (6.58 ERA, 1.73 WHIP) and the Bard experiment hasn’t gone as well as hoped (5.24 ERA, 6.1 BB/9).