Buchholz to Debut Friday

Boston's top pitching prospect Clay Buchholz is set to make his Red Sox 2009 debut this Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto. Buchholz is 0-2 with a 4.22 ERA in his career against Toronto. What's the reasoning behind this decision? Read on to find out.

Last year, we saw Clay Buchholz crumble under all the media/fan hype, after his 2007 no-hitter and subsequent 3-1 record, 1.59 ERA. He was a kid, only 22 years old, and we Bostonians thought he would be the next big thing in Boston. However, in 2008, things didn't click for Buchholz. He still had good stuff—low to mid-90s fastball to go along with a devastating curve—but he struggled with his control, as he allowed .54 walks per inning, compared to .45 an inning in 2007. He gave up 11 homers in only 15 starts, and accumulated an ERA of 6.75. So this season, Theo tried to keep the Buchholz buzz to a minimum, keeping him in Triple-A until the right moment came. In Pawtucket, where he was able to avoid the spotlight, he thrived. His walks per inning dropped to .30, his ERA fell to 2.36, and his WHIP is under 1.0. Most other ballclubs would rush such a lights-out AAA pitcher into joining their 40-man roster. But the Red Sox aren’t like most ballclubs. Theo let him start 16 games in Pawtucket, and only now brings him up to start a game against the Blue Jays. In Buchholz’s one start against Toronto last year, he got the loss, pitched six innings, and gave up four runs, though he did manage to strikeout eight Blue Jays. I don’t think Buchholz will stay in the rotation, which already has five above average starters. But letting the youngster get some more experience, little by little, will hopefully make Buchholz Major League-ready come 2010, when Penny and Smoltz will both become free agents, and the Sox have club options on Beckett and Wakefield. I think Theo himself got caught up in Buchholz’s 2007 triumphs, and mistakenly brought him into the Majors before he was ready. So, for the remainder of this year, look for Buchholz to make periodic starts with the Sox, and maybe even come out of the bullpen. This gradual re-introduction in the Major Leagues will prime this young hurler for his future with the Sox.

But, let’s not forget about the other possible explanation for Buchholz’s unexpected start. It is somewhat curious that Theo decided to give Buchholz the nod against the Blue Jays the first day after the All-Star Break. One might expect his 2009 debut to come in the middle of a long stretch without off-days, when our starting five might need a rest day. However, none of our starters have pitched since last Sunday, and they should all be fresh. Yet, Buchholz, our top pitching prospect, is making his first start of the season instead. Why not let Lester, who is 2-0 with a 1.45 against Toronto this season, including a 12 strikeout performance back on May 31? Well, here’s why. After Buchholz’s lackadaisical 2008, his trade value has plummeted. Following his no-hitter and September success in Boston in ‘07, he was gold. Everyone wanted to get their hands on Clay Buchholz. But now, all teams see is that Clay can dominate Triple-A hitters, but can’t do so much in the Majors. After all, his 2-9, 2008 campaign can’t be overshadowed by his no-hitter against the Orioles two years ago. Anyways, the Red Sox are reported to be interested in acquiring Blue Jays’ ace Roy Halladay, whom Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is prepared to trade, should a team aggressively step up and offer a superb set of prospects, which would ideally include at least one top pitching prospect. Well, what better way to showcase our top pitching prospect to Ricciardi than to have him dominate his own Toronto hitters? If Theo is serious about acquiring Halladay, we’ll probably have to part with Buchholz, and the more his trade value rises before the July 31st deadline, the less we’ll have to give up in addition to Buchholz. Personally, I think the Red Sox are World Series material without Halladay, whom we would have trouble resigning when his contract expires at the end of 2010; I hope the first scenario is really what the Red Sox front office is trying to do, not attempting to pump up Buchholz’s market value in an attempt to trade for Roy Halladay.