Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Reportedly Converting Recently Acquired Hurler Into New Role

Boston is making a surprising move
Scott Neville|
Red Sox Reportedly Converting Recently Acquired Hurler Into New Role
Red Sox Reportedly Converting Recently Acquired Hurler Into New Role

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have a fully revamped pitching development system from top to bottom after multiple marquee additions to the coaching staff.

With new leadership in place, there has been one trend that has been vocalized throughout the offseason. A hefty majority of hurlers are heading into the offseason as if they are starters, even those who seem poised for a bullpen role. 

It caught many by surprise after the latest candidate to bulk up their workload came forward.

“They want me to come to spring training prepared to be a starter,” (Cooper) Criswell told MassLive's Christopher Smith. “Just because it’s easier if they want to move me into a bulk role out of the bullpen or even a reliever. Obviously it’s easier to transition from a starter to a reliever rather than a reliever to a starter. So I’m going to be geared up, ready for spring training to go as a starter.”

Criswell was Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's first big-league signing as the leader of baseball operations. The 27-year-old has a 5.97 ERA in 37 2/3 career innings but posted a much more serviceable 3.93 ERA in 84 2/3 innings for Triple-A Durham last season.

Criswell joins Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski as players who have come out announcing that they're gearing up to start. 

As Criswell said, any player who is not sure exactly what his role is, should bulk up on innings. It makes complete sense why Boston is taking this approach due to the lack of certainty regarding the rotation. 

More MLB: Impact Free Agent Has Multiple Red Sox Ties, Could Bolster Boston's Pitching Staff

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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