Alex Cora discusses Lucas Giolito’s Red Sox debut and the battle for the starting rotation.
In the Grapefruit League, Lucas Giolito made his debut as a Boston Red Sox player. The biggest offseason acquisition of the Sox took on the Minnesota Twins in his first game.
On Sunday afternoon, Giolito pitched two scoreless innings without giving up a hit. In his brief outing, he gave up a walk to Matt Wallner and struck out Emmanuel Rodriguez.
The right-hander expressed his surprise at the size of the crowd at JetBlue Park for the game and his excitement about playing in Boston after the enthusiastic reception from the Boston crowd.
Giolito was commended by Red Sox manager Alex Cora for his first start with the team.
“He performed well. The fastball was excellent. The change was good, Cora remarked. He doesn’t want to go for the walk, obviously, but he felt good before the
For Boston supporters, Cora’s remarks offer yet another glimmer of hope regarding the rotation’s condition. Giolito gave up the most home runs of any pitcher in the American League last season (41), so the team is relieved to hear that he appears to be in control of the strikeout situation.
Alex Cora, the manager of the Red Sox, listed the possible starting rotation and complimented Lucas Giolito on his first start.
Boston also needs Giolito’s durability, which he possesses in abundance. With improved command, he could have pitched many more innings, as he led the AL in starts during the previous season. Giolito’s commendation from Cora is a minor improvement for Boston’s pitching staff.
The most high-profile of Boston’s problems in recent years has been the starting rotation, and Cora spoke about that before the Sox’s Grapefruit League opener. Of course, Giolito is a lock for the starting lineup, but many of the other spots have been seen as open.
Cora’s latest comments have validated many reporters’ guesses about the rotation, which indicated that there are four almost certain selections and one final spot where several pitchers are still in the running.
“As of right now, Lucas and Nick [Pivetta] are unquestionably in the rotation if everything remains the same and they are healthy. Also, Brayan [Bello] “Cora stated. “We think Kutter [Crawford] is a starter, but we must obviously make decisions in light of that.” Alternatively, to put it that way, let’s say he has the lead in that one.”
Pivetta and Crawford have earned their spots in the rotation, as they both pitched well last year when compared to the rest of Boston’s staff. As many experts have predicted, Tanner Houck, Josh Winckowski, or Garrett Whitlock will most likely start in the fifth position.
Recently, it was revealed that Jordan Montgomery and the Red Sox have been in communication.
The Red Sox have reportedly communicated with Jordan Montgomery’s agent, Scott Boras, according to recent reports. Bello, Giolito, Pivetta, and Crawford would likely make up the starting rotation if Boston strikes a deal with Montgomery, with the remaining players vying for the fifth spot in the bullpen.
It would be much easier to solve the Red Sox’s starting rotation problems if Montgomery signed. He and Giolito in the same rotation would provide the Sox with a strong base of seasoned starters upon which to build in 2024 and beyond.
