7 potential lefties for the Red Sox to replace Eduardo Rodriguez

Author Matt Dolloff

November 18th, 2021 12:57 PM

The Boston Red Sox have an opening for a lefty in the starting rotation after the departure of Eduardo Rodriguez. Fortunately, Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom has plenty of options in free agency.

Obviously, we’ll believe it when we see it as far as Red Sox ownership actually letting Bloom open the wallets in the 2021 offseason. They’ve barely been cracked ajar over the last few years, as the Sox went painfully far to stay under the luxury tax and keep the payroll from getting too outrageous. But, according to Spotrac, they’re now under the luxury tax by $26.75 million, and their payroll is currently at a paltry $145 million. Can we get that closer to $200M, please?

Bloom has found plenty of great value in low-to-mid-level deals in his first two years at the helm, which helped fast-track the Red Sox back to contention in the American League in 2021. It’s time to let him get to spendin’. Add some real impact.

They could do so by signing one of the top left-handed pitchers available in free agency. Currently, they have only one southpaw in the rotation (that would be Chris Sale), and assuming righties Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta, and Tanner Houck fill out the group, well, you need another lefty. They could add a top-of-the-rotation guy to park behind Sale, but there are also some solid mid-to-late-rotation options if they feel good enough about those righties to step it up in 2022.

It’s possible that if the Red Sox add an impact player, it could actually come out of a loaded shortstop market. But here’s a rundown of the top lefties available as a possible E-Rod replacement…

• Steven Matz

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  Matz tops this list, because the Red Sox have reportedly shown interest in him. He's coming off his best year as a pro, posting a 14-7 record with a 3.82 ERA. He's had problems with efficiency, which have limited his inning totals over the years. But he'd immediately be a top-3 starter in the Sox' rotation, and it would be a double-win to take him away from the Blue Jays.

• Robbie Ray

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  Another good option to poach from Toronto, but this one would be more expensive. Ray is your reigning American League Cy Young Award winner after leading the AL with a 2.84 ERA, 248 strikeouts, 193.1 innings, and 32 starts. The question is whether he's a workhorse ace going forward. Those league-leading stats were also career-highs, so this stinks of a guy getting his shit together for a contract year. Wherever he ends up, he may be overpaid. But can the Red Sox avoid to let this whole market slip away without paying the price for talent?

• SP Carlos Rodon

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  This guy reeks of putting together a big year just to land a big contract. But Rodon was at least the third overall pick in 2014 and was supposed to be this good, so maybe he's here to stay. Rodon came out of nowhere to post a 2.37 ERA and 185 strikeouts in just 132 innings for the White Sox in 2021, and he did that over 24 starts. So a massive long-term contract could be in the offing for him. There would be risk in signing a guy who really just had one good year, but Rodon had this kind of potential.
• Danny Duffy

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  Injuries shortened Duffy's 2021 season, but the lefty excelled when on the mound. He posted his best ERA since becoming a full-time starter at 2.51 and struck out 65 in 61 innings. Duffy is already 32 years old, so a long-term contract for him wouldn't be ideal. But the age and recent injury problems will probably get him a one-year deal, anyway. He would make for an excellent flier for Bloom at the right price.

• James Paxton

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  Speaking of injuries...Paxton has made only six starts over the last two seasons and will be coming off Tommy John surgery in 2022. But from 2013-19, Paxton was one of the better lefties in the game when healthy, compiling a 3.50 ERA with 803 strikeouts over 733 innings. He'll be an interesting speculative signing for whoever lands him.

• Jon Lester

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  This is really more about nostalgia than anything Lester's doing on the mound. He's posted an ERA of 4.67 over the past three seasons, and his fastball has dipped to 89 mph. Lester's stuff has never been overpowering, but he's going to be 38 years old when the 2022 season starts and has struggled to adjust his pitching style with the reduced velocity. Still, he won't cost much at all and the Sox could sell a bunch of stupid t-shirts. Maybe he'd be motivated to find a late-career renaissance after a triumphant return to Boston.
• Tyler Anderson

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  To be honest, I'm only putting him on this list to annoy my colleague Ty Anderson. This Anderson is a journeyman who made his major league debut at age 26, and appears settled with an annual ERA in the 4s. He'd probably be nothing more than end-of-rotation depth in Boston. But hey, he's a lefty and he's available.

MORE: Red Sox gauging the loaded free-agent shortstop market

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

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Author Matt Dolloff

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2021 Red Sox offseason,Boston Red Sox,Matt Dolloff,MLB,steven matz