New Red Sox Pitchers

Wade Miley. Rick Porcello. Justin Masterson. Not exactly Maddox, Smoltz & Glavine. Not even Lester & Lackey. However, Ben did trade potential big league arms in Webster & De La Rosa for proven big league arms. All 3 new additions to the rotation have thrown 200 innings a combined 5 times. You also have 3 ground ball pitchers who can keep the bullpen from being overexposed throughout the year. If you had to rate them, let's say that they are #3 & #4 starters in your rotation. Porcello & Miley have enough upside to become a #2. Now Ben needs to finish his remake with a #1 - Cole Hamels, Jordan Zimmermann or Johnny Cueto. James Shields would be more of a #2, but we could live with that for now & look for a deal at the trade deadline. I think Hamels is more intriguing since he is under control for several years at a known cost. Hamels would cost the Red Sox at least one top prospect like Betts or Bogaerts or Owens or Swihart, along with a few spare parts from the current roster, but I would give the Phillies any one of those guys to get a legit top of the rotation guy. With Castillo, Sandoval, Ramirez, Miley, Porcello & Masterson the Red Sox have added valuable pieces for 2015. Pedroia, Napoli & Victorino are all coming off injuries & they should rebound. As currently constructed, one MLB Network reporter said the Red Sox are a contending playoff team. Adding an ace would allow the Sox to make a deeper run into the postseason.