The Red Sox have decided to go all-in on next season, turning the rotation over to a slew of young guys after the trades of Jon Lester and John Lackey prior to the deadline. With so many innings up for grabs, Fantasy owners will want to keep a close eye on how things shake out, especially given the team's abundance of seemingly capable young starters.
Among the group of pitchers expected to get a shot at some point down the stretch are Anthony Ranaudo, Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Brandon Workman and Joe Kelly. The latter four all have at least some major-league experience, though Ranaudo will get at least a taste of the majors when he debuts Friday against the Yankees. Of these five pitchers, who, if anyone, should Fantasy owners have their eyes on?
For now, it looks like De La Rosa, Ranaudo, Webster, Workman and Clay Buchholz have the next five spots in the rotation locked up, though a spot might open up for Kelly at some point once he reports to the team. De La Rosa, Buchholz and Kelly all have some measure of major-league success under their belts, though none profiles as a high-upside Fantasy option, given their middling track records so far. If upside is to be found, it is likely to come in the form of one of the other options.
Webster has the best prospect pedigree among the group, and he and Ranaudo probably have the highest ceilings for now. Of course, the obvious caveats about young pitching apply. Though their upside is tantalizing, we simply don't have any record of success at the major-league level to depend on.
The Red Sox don't have a lot of sure things for their long-term rotation, and they will need to use these last few months get an idea of who they can count on next season. The question for Fantasy owners is whether they want their roster to be the team's laboratory during the most important months of the season.
The young guys in Boston will all get their turns, but there isn't anyone in the rotation right now that screams "must-add," either due to a lack of upside or proven track record. AL-only owners might be smart to take a flier on anyone currently in the team's rotation, but it doesn't look like anyone here is worth consideration in mixed-leagues at this time.