3 Red Sox moves to make to replace Nathan Eovaldi
Scouting Report. Michael Wacha. player. 14. 2. Pick Analysis. SP. Boston Red Sox
Not re-signing Michael Wacha would be a huge mistake for the Red Sox
Speaking of former Rays who have dealt with some injuries but found a nice spot with Boston, that’s the story that we saw this past year as Michael Wacha played in front of the Fenway faithful.
In a year that saw a scarcity of bright spots for the Red Sox, Wacha was one of the most pleasant surprises after toiling away at the bottom of the rotation for teams like the Cardinals, Mets and Rays in years prior.
Though he did miss some time due to injury, Wacha started 23 games for the Sox and compiled an impressive 11-2 record. And while his ERA was at 4.14 (which was his best mark since the 2017 season), he posted a 1.115 WHIP with an impressive 127 ERA+ on the season. He was arguably the most consistent starter for the club all year long.
At 31 years old, it’s been reported that there is quite a market for Wacha this offseason after what he put on display in Boston, as there should be. Having said that, for a club that has frankly been quite averse to spending this offseason, the Sox need to make sure they can get Wacha back in the fold.
Though there is upside among the starting pitching options currently on the roster, none pitched as consistently in that role as Wacha did in 2022. Letting him go would add more question marks than answers for this pitching staff.