Ex-Yankees Hurler; Former All-Star May Be Perfect Depth Piece For Red Sox
Spring training is in full swing but that doesn't mean that there aren't still solid free agents available.
The Boston Red Sox have been one of the most active teams this offseason and brought in plenty of intriguing names including former Japanese star Masataka Yoshida and two-time All-Star Justin Turner.
At this point in the offseason, the Red Sox likely won't sign anyone to a big league contract unless it's the perfect deal because it would require the team to designate someone on the roster for assignment. That doesn't mean Boston couldn't make a deal. One person who still is available that may be worth a minor league contract is former New York Yankees hurler Michael Pineda.
The 34-year-old began his Major League Baseball career with the Seattle Mariners in 2011 and made his lone All-Star appearance as a rookie. Pineda was then traded to New York and dealt with a plethora of injuries but returned to the hill in 2014 and shined compiling a 1.89 ERA in 13 starts.
The right-handed hurler spent four seasons in New York before joining the Minnesota Twins. He dealt with injuries once again but after returning to the mound in 2019 spent three seasons with the club before joining the Detroit Tigers before the 2022 campaign.
In nine seasons Pineda has compiled a 64-61 record to go along with a 4.06 ERA. The longer he remains on the open market, the more and more intriguing he becomes for the Red Sox. Boston enters the 2023 season seemingly with a surplus of starting pitching.
The Red Sox currently have Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, James Paxton, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, and Garrett Whitlock all vying for spots in the Boston rotation. While it's nice for the club to have as much starting pitching as it has, adding Pineda to the minor leagues as a depth option certainly wouldn't hurt. Boston dealt with a wide range of injuries last season. The Red Sox currently are in a good spot but Sale, Paxton, Houck, and Whitlock all missed extended time at different points.
Boston likely will be in better shape in 2023, but if any of its starters deal injuries again, having a veteran option in Pineda ready to go in the minors would be a massive help. His numbers may not necessarily jump off the paper, but he is a veteran who could easily be a back-of-the-rotation guy with upside for an MLB team.
If the Red Sox were to sign Pineda it certainly wouldn't make them contenders over night, but he could help provide the team more needed depth.
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