As MLB inches closer to its Aug. 1 trade deadline, Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz could find himself shipped out of town.
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Buchholz Facing Trade While His Role Diminishes
Thursday, July 21
In a conversation with Rob Bradford of WEEI.com on Thursday, Buchholz revealed that he feels "like something has [to] be going on," given his limited usage in July.
On Thursday, Buchholz made his first appearance on the mound since July 2, pitching a scoreless ninth inning in the Red Sox's 13-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.
He's trudged through one of the worst seasons of his career with a 3-9 record to go with a 5.84 ERA in 2016.
His struggles and a logjam of starters, which got more crowded when the team acquired All-Star Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres, have seen him demoted from the starting rotation.
"If this is the way the team is going to be as far as the rotation part of it…I feel like the guys they’re rolling out there, I don’t have a spot. I’m the odd man out," Buchholz told Bradford.
But his role as a reliever and his place on the team are also in jeopardy. According to ESPN.com's Scott Lauber, reliever Junichi Tazawa is set to return from a right shoulder injury Friday, which makes Buchholz expendable.
Lauber also noted the Red Sox can't demote Buchholz to the minors without his consent, which could have been the easiest option to open a spot in the bullpen for Tazawa.
Instead, Buchholz will have to wait for a suitor to emerge and take him away from Fenway.
"I don’t necessarily think about it," he said, per Bradford. "If it happens, it happens. There’s not a whole lot I can do about it on that side of it, except pitch whenever they call. I’m sure there are a lot of things that are going on. There might be another chapter. It is what it is. I’ll figure it out either way."
With the rash of injuries some National League teams are facing to their pitching staffs, Buchholz could be an intriguing option. The Los Angeles Dodgers could be without ace Clayton Kershaw for the foreseeable future, as manager Dave Roberts told ESPN.com's Doug Padilla the southpaw might need surgery.
On the East Coast, the New York Mets lost Matt Harvey when he underwent season-ending surgery Monday, while Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz have been dealing with bone spurs, though they continue to pitch.
Even though he isn't having his best year, a team could add Buchholz for insurance purposes. A change of scenery could also do wonders for the 31-year-old as he looks to turn his season around and prove he can still be an effective starter in the majors.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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