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Having something of a bounce-back season after a rough 2014, Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz is attracting interest from several teams, among them the Pirates, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.
Pittsburgh is looking for its third-consecutive playoff appearance and currently leads the NL Wild Card standings at 40-31. Adding Buchholz could be the boost they need to solidify a berth in the postseason.
What does Buchholz bring to the Pirates?
The 30-year-old Buchholz has posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 93 innings and 15 starts this season, walking 23 and striking out 91. Opposing batters have hit .264 against him and he has a FIP of 2.72.
This is coming off of a 2014 season that saw Buchholz post a 5.34 ERA in 170⅓ innings for Boston, walking 54 and striking out 132. In his nine-year career with Boston, he has a 3.90 ERA in 1,008 innings with 790 strikeouts. He was an All-Star in 2010 and 2013, finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2010 as well.
Buchholz also has a workable contract for a team like the Pirates, making $12 million this year with a pair of team options for 2016 and 2017.
Why do the Pirates need Buchholz?
The Pirates have gotten strong performances at the top of their rotation from Gerrit Cole, A.J. Burnett and Francisco Liriano, but have lacked consistency at the back end of the rotation from Jeff Locke, Vance Worley and Charlie Morton.
Of the three starters that have comprised the back end of the Pirates'rotation, Worley is the only one with an ERA+ above 100 and FIP below 4.00. Locke has especially struggled, with a 4.73 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 78 innings this season.
Fitting Buchholz into one of those final two rotation spots would give Pittsburgh stability and make them look much more formidable when September comes.