Kelly was assured by manager John Farrell that he will be in Boston's starting rotation when the 2016 season begins, the Boston Herald reports.
Kelly's finish to the 2015 season -- 8-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last nine starts -- makes him an attractive sleeper entering 2016, but manager John Farrell is no position to be patient. If Kelly gets off to a slow start, Farrell, a manager that's guided Boston to two consecutive last-place finishes, could be forced to relegate Kelly to the bullpen or Triple-A and use one of the team's depth starters.