Daniel Bard, Felix Doubront Win the Boston Red Sox Starters’ Competition

Published: 1st Apr 12 11:33 am
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Daniel Bard, Felix Doubront Win the Boston Red Sox Starters’ Competition
Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The Boston Red Sox came into camp with no clear idea of who would be the team’s fourth and fifth starters. After losing 20 out of 27 games in September thanks to the failures of the starting rotation, Boston chose to sign a number of pitchers to minor league deals and to try relievers Alfredo Aceves and Daniel Bard as a starters. The team started Spring Training with minor league signees Aaron Cook, Vicente Padilla, Ross Ohlendorf, and Carlos Silva competing against Bard,  Aceves, and prospects Felix Doubront and Alex Wilson for the last two spots in the rotation. This morning the competition ended, as the Red Sox selected Felix Doubront as the fourth starter and Daniel Bard as the fifth starter.

Felix Doubront earned his spot with an excellent Spring Training campaign, pitching 16 innings, with a 2.70 ERA, 10 strikeouts and a just six walks. After disappointing the team last season, when he showed up to Spring Training out of shape and struggled with injuries, Doubront has made a major turn around.Boston will give him the chance to show that his promising stuff can translate to the Major Leagues and give the team a reliable back end starter.

Daniel Bard’s transition from set up man to starter has been the most controversial storyline for the Red Sox this spring. Bard has not made the transition go any smoother with his Spring Training. There has been a good deal to like about Bard’s work this spring; he has shown the ability to maintain his elite velocity after 80+ pitches, he has made significant progress in using his change-up, and his ground ball rates have remained excellent. His stats, however, have been terrible, thanks in large part to walks. Bard has walked 16 hitters in 24 innings and has a 6.78 ERA as a result. His strike out rate has not been great thus far either, with just 18 strike outs in his Spring Training starts. His last Spring Training start, Bard did put everything together, allowing just three runs on four hits and three walks, while whiffing seven.

While the competition is over for the time being, Boston’s rotation will still need contributions from Alfredo Aceves, Aaron Cook and possibly some of the other candidates. Just two teams, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Texas Rangers, needed fewer than ten starts from players outside their starting five. Both Daniel Bard and Felix Doubront could face innings limits this season and as first time starters, their leash will be short.

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