Boston Red Sox Must Consider Trading Clay Buchholz In 2016

The Boston Red Sox continue to try and give David Ortiz the sendoff that he rightfully deserves. The Red Sox are currently tied for the AL East lead, as well as a 2.5 game lead in the wild card race, which has people in Boston feeling good about their ball club. With all that has been going right, it becomes blatantly obvious when something is going badly. Clay Buchholz has been sticking out like a sore thumb for all of the wrong reasons.

Buchholz is currently sitting with a 6.11 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and eight homeruns against in 45.2 innings of work. His 2-3 record is generous considering how he has been looking on the mound. All of this is what Boston fans were afraid of in the offseason.

At the time of the Wade Miley trade, the information that was out in the media was that the Red Sox were looking to trade a starting pitcher to the Seattle Mariners for Roenis Elias. Boston fans were screaming for it to be Buchholz (and it very well could have been). When the news that the Mariners traded Elias and Carson Smith for Miley, Red Sox fans were not too upset. Maybe they should have been.

It is looking more and more like the Red Sox need to trade Buchholz. Buchholz has the track record to provide a team in need with depth. He has two All-Star appearances and has thrown a perfect game and teams will value that. The Buchholz of old is gone though, and Red Sox know this best.

The injuries that the Red Sox starters have had recently make it hard to give up a healthy starter, but there have to be better options than Buchholz for the Red Sox. Buchholz gives a team experience and locker room presence, something the Red Sox are not lacking at the moment. Buchholz at this point just fits better somewhere other than Boston.

It might have to be a bad contract for bad contract type of trade, considering how much Buchholz is owed ($13 million for 2016). A change of scenery trade is a better term for it. Buchholz could work out for another team, but in Ortiz’s last year and with the Red Sox contending, this is not the season to wait and see. Whether it is for some depth at the corners, an outfield, or a younger starter, the Red Sox are better off without Buchholz. It’s time to move on from Buchholz, World Series champ and all.