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| John Lackey, 2013 World Series |
As of today, the 2018 Red Sox rotation will be:
Chris Sale,
David Price,
Rick Porcello,
Drew Pomeranz—and then it's a crapshoot. The fifth starter
could be
Eduardo Rodriguez or
Steven Wright. E-Rod is out until at least May after having surgery on his right knee (patellofemoral ligament reconstruction). Wright pitched just five games in 2017—going on the 60-day DL with his own knee problems. It's unclear where the knuckle-baller fits into the rotation—
if it all. So, with news that free-agent right-handed starter (and former
Carmine Hoser)
John Lackey wants to pitch in 2018, is he a good #5 option for Boston? Lackey was only "so-so" for the Cubbies last season—going 12-12 with a 4.59 ERA. But hey, isn't that good enough for a fifth guy? He
did give up an NL-leading 36 HRs last year, he is 39 years-old, and then—
of course— there's the whole
"Chicken and Beer" thing. But don't forget how key he was to the 2013 World Series Championship team. Lackey had a big win in the ALCS against Detroit (6.2 innings, no earned runs) and hurled 14 stellar innings in the World Series (1-1, 2.57 ERA). In fact,
he won the series clincher at Fenway (6-1 over the Redbirds). Just sayin'—you could do worse than a one-year deal for Lackey.
