The Red Sox’ initial foray into free-agent market this offseason is unlikely to be greeted with much enthusiasm.
The Sox came to terms with right-hander Michael Wacha, 30, on a one-year deal on Friday. Wacha’s base salary is unknown but it’s believed to a modest one and is unlikely to top the $3.5 million he earned in 2021.
Wacha spent last season pitching for Tampa Bay, going 3-5 with a 5.05 ERA in 28 appearances, 23 of them starts.
In nine big league seasons with three different clubs, Wacha has had difficulty repeating the success he enjoyed earlier in his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. While a rookie with the Cards, he pitched against the Sox in the 2013 World Series.
His best season came two years later when he was 17-7 and had a 3.38 ERA.
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The Red Sox are banking on Wacha finding himself over the last few months of 2021 when he streamlined his pitch mix and enjoyed better results, especially with some of his underlying numbers.
Attempting to find undervalued starters on the free-agent market has become a trend early this offseason with about a dozen teams in pursuit of lefty Andrew Heaney, who had a disappointing season (5.89 ERA) in a season split between the Angels and Yankees.
But the Dodgers - and many others - cited Heaney’s strikeout and soft contact rates as evidence that there is more to work with and the Sox now feel the same about Wacha - albeit at presumably a lower salary level.
Wacha provides the Sox with a back-end rotation option as the Sox look to improve their depth behind Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi and Nick Pivetta. They also have Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck as candidates to shift into the rotation full-time.
More pitching moves are undoubtedly on the horizon. For now, think of Wacha as a right-handed Martin Perez - a veteran starter, signed to an affordable, low-risk deal who has the potential to unlock more of his availability through analytics and coaching.