So long and thanks for all the fish
It all comes down to this weekend.
Not the playoffs, just the 2024 regular season.
The Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays battle for third place in the AL East.
Taj Bradley starts against pending free agent Nick Pivetta. Bradley is 23 and the Rays fifth round pick in 2018. Boston drafted after the Rays that year, so, how did those picks the Sox made turn out? First round…Triston Casas (Rays had already selected Matthew Liberatore). Second…Nick Decker. Third…Durbin Feltman. Fifth (after Bradley was taken) Kole Cottam. Well, that Casas fellow seems good.
Nick Pivetta, meanwhile, likely ends his Red Sox career with (about) a 4.31 ERA/4.21 FIP over parts of five seasons.
Shane Baz (like Oz) was drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates in the first round of the 2017 draft and acquired by Tampa in the Chris Archer trade along with Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows. Just taking Pittsburgh to the cleaners.
Kutter Crawford has set career highs in innings, Ks, starts, and, uh, home runs allowed this season. He’s been worth 2.6 bWAR as one of the rotation’s stalwarts. If Boston had signed, say, Chris Bassitt (3 years / $63 million) after the 2022 season to push Crawford to the pen or down the depth chart they’d have gotten a 2.5 bWAR pitcher in 2023 and a -0.2 pitcher this season. Eh?
Ryan Pepiot was acquired by the Rays in the offseason for Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers originally selected Pepiot in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft. Glasnow was good for the Dodgers until his injuries sank another season.
Will Tanner Houck make one more start for the Red Sox this year? Maybe? On the other hand, it wil be Joe Castiglione Day honoroing the cereer iof the legendary broadcaster.
Red Sox alumni spanning Castiglione’s career — which began in 1983 — will also be on hand for the ceremony, including Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, Red Sox Hall of Famers Roger Clemens, Dwight Evans, Rich Gedman, and Bob Stanley, as well as Joe Morgan, Jackie Bradley Jr., Brian Daubach, Lenny DiNardo, Keith Foulke, Rich Hill, Bob Montgomery, and Trot Nixon.
Maybe a couple inning from Pedro and Clemens? Heck, Rich Hill would be there too and he last pitched just weeks ago!
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday 9/27: Taj Bradley (4.30 ERA / 4.20 FIP) vs Nick Pivetta (4.21 ERA / 4.17 FIP)
Saturday 9/28: Shane Baz (3.07 ERA / 4.04 FIP) vs Kutter Crawford (4.17 ERA / 4.61 FIP)
Sunday 9/29: Ryan Pepiot (3.64 ERA / 4.01 FIP) vs TBD
How and Where to Watch
Friday 9/27: 7:10 PM ET on WEEI and NESN
Saturday 9/28: 4:10 PM ET on WEEI and NESN (MLBN for out-of-market)
Sunday 9/29: 3:05 PM ET on WEEI and NESN