Red Sox's Alex Cora Non-Committal Regarding James Paxton's Future Role

Boston is running out of spots in the rotation

Scott Neville | Apr 11, 2023

Red Sox's Alex Cora Non-Committal Regarding James Paxton's Future Role /

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With multiple arms set to return in the early days of the season, the Boston Red Sox will have a seven-man battle for five spots in the rotation.

The Red Sox have Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta in the current rotation with Brayan Bello and James Paxton on the way.

Many expect Houck to slot into a multi-inning reliever role when everyone is healthy but it's not a foregone conclusion. Either way, two hurlers will be relegated to a bullpen role -- or possibly Triple-A Worcester when everyone is healthy.

It appears that Paxton does not have a guaranteed spot in the rotation when he does in fact return.

"As of now, we're going to stretch (Paxton) out," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MLB.com's Ian Browne on Tuesday.

Cora's statement is far from a vote of confidence but does imply Paxton will have a shot to earn his place in the rotation. How the starting five is playing when he returns could be a huge factor as Paxton is supposed to be the furthest away from a comeback.

Whitlock already is penciled into the rotation and Bello is not far behind.

All 137 of Paxton's Major League Baseball outings have been as a starter, and the 34-year-old logged just two relief appearances in the minors.

How Paxton would adjust to the bullpen is largely unknown, and could be a factor in the decision-making process.

Kluber, Sale and Whitlock are rotation locks at the moment. Bello is not going to be moved into a bullpen role and a demotion would be shocking. That leaves one spot for Houck, Pivetta and Paxton -- assuming everyone stays healthy (big assumption given this group).

Regardless of how it all shakes out, the Red Sox's pitching staff will be much improved when all seven of these pitchers can be factored in.

More MLB: Red Sox Demote Young Hurler After Strong Start To Make Room For Garrett Whitlock

Published Apr 11, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu