Red Sox's Alex Cora Non-Committal Regarding James Paxton's Future Role
With multiple arms set to return in the early days of the season, the Boston Red Sox will have a seven-man battle for five spots in the rotation.
The Red Sox have Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta in the current rotation with Brayan Bello and James Paxton on the way.
Many expect Houck to slot into a multi-inning reliever role when everyone is healthy but it's not a foregone conclusion. Either way, two hurlers will be relegated to a bullpen role -- or possibly Triple-A Worcester when everyone is healthy.
It appears that Paxton does not have a guaranteed spot in the rotation when he does in fact return.
"As of now, we're going to stretch (Paxton) out," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MLB.com's Ian Browne on Tuesday.
Cora's statement is far from a vote of confidence but does imply Paxton will have a shot to earn his place in the rotation. How the starting five is playing when he returns could be a huge factor as Paxton is supposed to be the furthest away from a comeback.
Whitlock already is penciled into the rotation and Bello is not far behind.
All 137 of Paxton's Major League Baseball outings have been as a starter, and the 34-year-old logged just two relief appearances in the minors.
How Paxton would adjust to the bullpen is largely unknown, and could be a factor in the decision-making process.
Kluber, Sale and Whitlock are rotation locks at the moment. Bello is not going to be moved into a bullpen role and a demotion would be shocking. That leaves one spot for Houck, Pivetta and Paxton -- assuming everyone stays healthy (big assumption given this group).
Regardless of how it all shakes out, the Red Sox's pitching staff will be much improved when all seven of these pitchers can be factored in.
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