Comparing this staff to others in franchise history, why they have struggled so much, and how they can get out of this situation.
This is the worst Boston Red Sox team since 1932.
The 1932 season was part of a sixteen year stretch right after the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees, in which the team did not finish above .500 once.
Luckily for your current Red Sox, with the money they have, a run like that is virtually impossible now. But that's besides the point. How did the Red Sox get themselves in this horrendous situation?
Well, there are many reasons this Boston team is the worst their fans can ever remember. The most obvious though is there pitching. 1932 yielded a worse record, but even that year, the team's ERA was over a full point better than it is right now. The current Red Sox ERA of 6.06 is far and away the worst in franchise history. In second place is the 1932 team with a 5.02 ERA.
Their WHIP of 1.63 is also the worst in franchise history. Same is true for their 1.65 home runs allowed per game. They have given up 9.91 hits per game, their worst mark since 1940. Their walks per game (4.22) is their worst mark of since 1996. In other words, they are really bad.
The problems all stem from their lack of starting pitching. Look at their current rotation, and they literally only have two starters, and even those two -- Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez -- are very concerning.
Truth be told, Eovaldi probably belongs in the bullpen. And for Perez, well, he boasted the fourth worst ERA among qualified starters last season for the Minnesota Twins. He should be at best a team's fourth starter. For the Red Sox he is their second.
Ace Chris Sale is out for the year (at least) with Tommy John surgery. Eduardo Rodriguez, the team's ace last season, got COVID-19, and then later heart problems from the disease, sidelining him for the year. With Sale the Sox had time to plan for his absence. With Rodriguez, they did not.
The thing is, last year they had five legitimate starters. They decided to let Rick Porcello walk, and traded David Price to the Dodgers as part of the Mookie Betts deal. They seemed to think that they could just magically find starters. Or maybe that they could successfully work three bullpen days. It just doesn't work that way though.
A 6-17 record, and a 6.97 ERA from their starters this year shows that pretty clearly.
Right now, ESPN lists the Red Sox third, fourth, and fifth starters as Zack Godley, Kyle Hart, and Colton Brewer. Godley has had a few decent years over his career, but has really faded the past few years and is incredibly inconsistent. Kyle Hart, 27 years old, made his MLB debut against the Rays a few days ago, getting shelled for seven runs (five earned) in two innings. Brewer is a fringe MLB player.
The bottom line is, all three of those guys belong in the bullpen, that is if they belong on an MLB roster at all. They are stuck starting or opening games because the Red Sox don't have enough starters.
The Red Sox bullpen itself is not one that is going to make up for its starters. Their ERA is better than the starters, but at 5.86 is most definitely nothing to brag about. Like with the starters the truth is that most of these guys don't belong in the majors.
Besides Matt Barnes, Brandon Workman, and Heath Hembree, none of them are solid MLB players.
The bottom line is, this is a tank year for the Red Sox. Hopefully Chaim Bloom knows what's good for him, and tries to get as many young pitchers as he possibly can. The Red Sox won't be able to contend again unless they find legitimate starters. That is the truth.