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Don’t look now, but the Boston Red Sox are starting to heat up on more MLB Rumors, although this time it’s not even about a current player. Javier Vazquez is apparently entertaining the idea of pitching again and the Red Sox are taking a look at him (supposedly) in Puerto Rico. The odds of the Red Sox being the only interested team are low, but the Red Sox could pony up the most “no risk money” of the bunch, so if they want Vazquez, I imagine they’ll get him.
The problem with that move is Vazquez didn’t pitch last year. He’s always been an up and down kind of pitcher and I’m not convinced he would fare all that well in Boston. He is older and more experienced but after not pitching last year, how crisp is his stuff? Can he still get big league hitters out? Can Vazquez anchor the back end of the rotation? All of these questions are going to have to be answered by spring training if this is a move that’s actually going to happen.
We’ll see what happens, but if the Red Sox decide to pony up a little money here, it wouldn’t be the worst deal in the world as long as its a minor league deal without a ton of guaranteed money. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen here? Vazquez signs a low risk deal, he pitches poorly and gets cut? That’s well worth the risk if he can go 165 innings as a fifth starter. The Red Sox might have to outbid a few teams, but I suspect they will if they want to. Stay tuned.
