McAdam: Fifth spot in rotation up for grabs

The Red Sox' staring rotation will have a different look this year.

Gone are David Price (traded to the Dodgers) and Rick Porcello (free agent, signed with Mets). New is lefty Martin Perez.

Perez joins the returning trio of Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and Eduardo Rodriguez.

That leaves one spot vacant. The Sox could experiment with an opener -- as Ron Roenicke conceded Wednesday -- or they could choose someone from a list of candidates in camp.

"We don't have somebody yet for that fifth spot,'' said Roenicke. "It's too early to try to figure that out. I think they'll pitch themselves into spots.''

Other options could materialize over the course of the season. It's possible, for instance, that by May or June, a young starter in the minors (Tanner Houck or Bryan Mata) could emerge. There are also others in the organization who've shuttled back-and-forth between the bullpen and the rotation (Mike Shawaryn, Kyle Hart).

For now, it's a matter of quantity over quality. Here's a look at those in the running:



RHP Ryan Weber
2019: 2-4, 5.09
The Skinny: Weber made three starts for the Red Sox last year. In one, he completely kept the Blue Jays off-guard, limiting them to a single run on three hits over six innings. In the two others, however, he combined for 5.1 innings, allowing nine runs on 13 hits. Weber attacks hitters and doesn't walk many, but he has very little margin for error and with a fastball that stays under 90 mph, he needs precise command or else he gets hammered.

LHP Brian Johnson
2019: 1-3, 6.02
The Skinny: Johnson had a miserable season after being a big contributor in 2018. He fell out of favor enough to be placed on waivers early in the offseason. He went unclaimed and returned to the organization, though he's no longer on the 40-man roster. Johnson has battled injuries for much of his career -- he missed several months with elbow issues in the first half of the season. Being off the roster, he would really have to wow the Sox this spring to pitch himself back into the picture.

RHP Hector Velazquez
2019: 1-4, 5.43
The Skinny: Like Johnson, he was a key member of the 2018 staff, and also like Johnson, tailed off poorly last year. There's also this: Velazquez has been far more effective in relief (career 2.99 ERA) than he's been as a starter (5.27), suggesting that if he has a role on the 2020 Red Sox, it's far more likely to be in the bullpen.

LHP Matt Hall
2019: 0-1, 7.71 (with Detroit)
The Skinny: The left-handed Hall has 21 appearances in the big leagues over the last two years, but all have been in relief. He's been an effective starter in the minors, however. In 2016 and 2017, between Single-A and Double-A, he made 49 appearances, all but two of them starts and posted a combined 2.58 ERA. He can miss bats, too, averaging 11 strikeouts per nine innings at Triple-A last year. He needs more consistency. The Sox think, at 26, it might be his time.

RHP Chris Mazza
2019: 1-1, 5.11 (with NY Mets)
The Skinny: At 29, Mazza is the oldest candidate in the group and also, the most traveled, having been part of four different organizations (Twins, Marlins, Mariners, Mets) before being claimed off waivers by the Red Sox this winter. He made his major league debut for the Mets at 29 last summer and is actually a distant relative (third cousin) of Yankee legend Joe DiMaggio. Like Weber and Johnson and others in the running, he doesn't get a ton of swing-and-miss, so he needs to keep the ball out of the fat part of the plate and induce soft contact to succeed.

LHP Jeffrey Springs
2019: 4-1, 6.40 (with Texas)
The Skinny: Springs has an impressive rookie season with the Rangers in 2018 (1-1, 3.38 in 18 games, including two starts), but took a big step backward last season, leading him to be sent to the Sox in exchange for Sam Travis last month.  Control was a big issue in 2019, when he issued 23 walks in 32.1 innings. Given that wildness had never been an issue with him previously, it would appear that the poor control was the result of a mechanical hitch or a failure to adequately repeat his delivery.