The Red Sox are pausing Garrett Whitlock’s throwing program after the right-hander reported elbow soreness, manager Alex Cora told reporters on Friday (link via Chris Cotillo of MassLive). He’ll head for imaging over the weekend to determine the severity.
Whitlock has spent exactly one month on the injured list, but not for an elbow problem. A left oblique strain knocked him out of action after four starts. He made a rehab appearance at Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday. Whitlock looked good in that outing, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Cora indicated he felt fine during the appearance before experiencing the elbow discomfort the following day.
Boston expected that Whitlock would return to the MLB rotation at the start of next week. That’s no longer the case. The test results will determine how long he’s out of action. Whitlock had two elbow-related injured list stints in 2023, the latter of which cost him five weeks between July and August. Back in 2019, he underwent Tommy John surgery while a prospect in the Yankee organization. Ironically, that procedure is likely a big reason Whitlock ever landed in Boston, as it presumably contributed to New York’s mistake of leaving him off their 40-man roster before the 2020 Rule 5 draft.
Whitlock hasn’t had a full season as a starting pitcher since his time in the minors. He was an excellent multi-inning relief weapon for his first two MLB campaigns. Boston gave him 10 starts last year before his July injured list placement. He worked out of the bullpen after returning. The Sox moved him back into the starting staff to open this year. He allowed only four runs in 18 1/3 innings prior to the oblique injury.
Cooper Criswell has stepped into the rotation behind Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck. Signed to a $1MM contract last winter after being non-tendered by the Rays, Criswell has been quietly excellent through his first 29 1/3 frames for the Sox. He owns a 2.76 ERA with a solid 23.3% strikeout percentage and a tidy 5.8% walk rate.
Rut roh
Trying to make him start might ruin his career
Not as bad as with Winkowski. Whitlock does have 3 solid and effective pitches as a starter. his change, slider and FB, which will hold in 93-5 range. Would he do better as a 2-3ip reliever? you bet, but a penalty of Boston being so atrocious at drafting pitching talent (mostly) for years and somebody has to start for them.
He was very good as a reliever. Their experiment as a starter for one reason or another hasn’t worked. Regardless of how used, he’ll have to carefully watched. When ready, I’d put him back in the pen with no back to back appearances until the playoffs (wink, wink)…
dewey – Do you believe he can’t be a good starter if healthy?
Or do you believe he simply can’t be healthy as a starter?
He was a fulltime reliever for just one year in his entire career, 2021.
He was a starter in each of his other professional seasons, 2017-2019 and 2022-2024.
One year is way too small a sample size to draw any correlations between relieving and health. Per Fangraphs starting pitchers have only a 3% greater chance of needing TJS than relievers.
The bottom line is the Red Sox are focused on money. They refused to acquire a much needed SP after the disastrous Gio signing, and they don’t want to spend $13M over the next two seasons on a seldom used reliever when they can have a starting pitcher for that price. THAT more than anything is why they are pushing Whitlock to start. With them it’s always about money.
he also was never a full time starter for a season either and missed over a month in each of the last 2 years and now this year when he was a starter then came back to the bullpen. As just being a reliever in those spans he did not miss really any time.
3 half seasons as a starter missed atleast a month for each of those half seasons 1 full season and 3 half seasons as a reliever relatively no time missed. I would say that is enough of a sample size to say yes he should stay reliever. Maybe long man with a opener spot start here and there if needed.
When has he last made ten consecutive starts without breaking down?
The Sox front office reminds of that guy at work that we all know who is almost always wrong but will never admit it because he honestly believes he is always right. You know the guy, the one who makes mistake after mistake in a quest to show how good he is? THAT is our analytical department.
They will start this guy until his arm falls off before admitting his best value is in the bullpen.
I feel bad for Whit. He is obviously willing to do what he is told, and give his all to do it. He deserves better.
“The Sox front office reminds of that guy at work that we all know who is almost always wrong but will never admit it because he honestly believes he is always right. You know the guy, the one who makes mistake after mistake in a quest to show how good he is?”
…Angel Hernandez?
Too funny, Canuck!
DBH – I know that type of person of which you speak. Unhappy people are dangerous people.
DBH – While that isn’t exactly wrong, in Whitlock’s case he had asked repeatedly for the chance to become a starter again after understanding why he was used out of the pen when first joining the team.
Nthe sox were in part honoring his wishes
DBH – Yes the Red Sox analytics department has sucked the past several years, but decisions are often driven by money.
Bottom line, they’d rather pay Whitlock $13M over the next two years to be a SP than pay him $13M to be a seldom used reliever.
Because as John Henry never hesitates to point out, “Starting pitchers are expensive”.
FEVER – Great point about the money. That’s why his deal like everything Bloom was a mistake. This kid seems to have one skill, getting out of an inning if he comes in as a reliever. Everything else he hasn’t been that good at. To give him an early contract to join the cool kids club was typical of Bloom. He was a politics and no baseball knowledge. That guy is still sitting in TB making smart decisions.
Whitlock was a waste of money and I felt the same way when Bello and Rafaela got their money. NEVER sign a guy before ARB 1 year, you simply don’t have a good enough understanding of the players worth. Also, it they are outstanding then sign them up for at least 3 of their FA years so the total time is 9 years or more not 6.
Whitlock has time to recover and find specialty that makes him valuable to BOS as a player or in trade. This team is a lock for last place and a high draft pick so get the guys like Whitlock healthy and figure out where he will be most effective. If it is SP, then get him ready to be traded because he’s not as good as Houck, Crawford, Pivetta or Bello. The other fill ins will disappear once Giolito can pitch again in 2025. Pivetta is the key guy that could use a short extension. Too bad money was wasted on Whitlock.
Whitlock could easily be worth that as a reliever. $18M doesn’t buy you much these days on the FA market.
Whitlock was doing very well as a starter this year until the injury. I think he belongs in the rotation when he comes back.
Clearly Hammerin Whitlock has starters stuff but he just can’t seem to stay healthy. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear he needs TJ surgery from the sounds of it. I just don’t know what to do with him if he avoids surgery clearly his stuff is starter worthy and I’m not even sure if using him in the pen is any better for his health. It’s a tough situation for the young man.
I don’t think there is any doubt that pitching as a starter is a lot more stressful than pitching in a “managed” relief role like Whitlock in 2021 or Slaten this year.
Not just TJ surgery, either, but a litany of strains and stress reactions. He appears to be demanding more of his body than it can support.
Even if you get the same innings out of him in relief that you would as a starter, the relief innings can be timed for higher leverage.
TFF – The contract bought out one year of pre-arb and 3 years of arbitration. Looking at a similar reliever like Loaisiga who made $6M total over the same 4 year period, Sox clearly overpaid Whitlock thus far.
Whitlock is making 4.7and change a year over 4 years even if he switches to being a full time reliever that’s not that much.
Not *everything* Bloom did was bad, just most things.
Signing Whitlock to the deal he got isn’t that bad. Compare to what the same money would buy you on the FA market.
Or, if you prefer, ask yourself if he would likely collect 18m through his arb years? Probably. Plus you’ve got team options of 8m and 10m in his first 2 free agent years.
Whitlock as a BP arm was better than jansen is… who cost how much per season on the open market?
Generally the value has been there, so long as they can keep him relatively healthy. I don’t think the 3, 5, or 7m Whitlock pulls down in actual salary, or the 4.6m in CBT he ties up prevents anything happening with Pivetta.
Acell – cbt is 4.6 but actual salaries are 3.5m in 24, 5.5m in 25, and 7.5m in 26, followed by salaries of 8.25m on the 27 option and 10.5m in 28.
It’s tough to say where Henry will draw the line in coming years. Between other sports ventures, the corners project, and all the rest actual expenditures may matter as much as CBT, if not more, for spending limits…
Regardless, if healthy none of those values are bad IMO
TF – Great post as always!
As for last place, I think that depends on the Jays and what they do at the trade deadline. It’s a safer bet to say the Sox will end up with 70-75 wins, I wouldn’t go lower because they have too much talent to not beat up on teams like the ChiSox, Rockies, Angels, etc.
Remember you saying the other day Ref should DH? You are totally correct, just look at last night’s game. He got a huge run-scoring hit, but also made two horrendous throws that would have nailed the runners if the throws were even half-decent.
And his allowing that GROUND BALL to get under his glove and roll all the way to the wall, that’s gonna make lowlight reels for a long, long time. Absolutely inexcusable.
Bruin – What so many here fail to realize, Whitlock went on the IL twice while pitching in relief … Sept 2021 and Sept 2022.
Those who think pitching in relief will keep him healthy are living on Fantasy Island.
acel – It’s Garrett Whitlock, a guy who was under team control through 2026 BEFORE he signed the ridiculous extension.
That means $700K in 2022, $700K in 2023, and around $2M each year from 2024-2026.
They are paying him well over double what they would have paid without the extension, that’s a lot.
GASox – Totally agree on Bloom, I’ve credited him with many things including the Vazquez trade, the Pivetta trade, and …… ummm ….. okay maybe just “some” things. LOL!!
But why are you comparing a team-controlled player with less than 6 years service time to free agents?
The 6-year team control rule is in place for a reason, to give teams the ability to hold onto their young players at an affordable price.
Bloom forfeited that opportunity with Whitlock, and he did it just to *maybe* save a few bucks on the 2027-2028 option years. It was a stupid gamble because Whitlock has ALWAYS had health issues.
He was placed on the DL in August 2018, April 2019, July 2019 and Sept 2021. Not to mention the TJS surgery.
Despite that injury history, Bloom STILL gave him that ridiculous contract extension.
Fever, Whitlock was showing dominance and good stuff, including in multi inning outings. He has previously been a starter.
We’re talking $18m vs probably a minimum of $10m in arb, and possibly more, just as a reliever.
Compared to dumping $$$ on the likes of kluber or paxton, betting the money on a young guy to be able to be the starter he was developing as was a fair bet.
And as a SP, arb guys get more than $2m per, and dominant closer types wind up with more than $2m in arb-2 and arb-3… you add the option discounts, compare all that to free agent money…
What’s being argued about isn’t 18m, it’s probably 8m or less.
it’s not really a lot at all when you look at the actual dollar figures.
GASox – No need to convince me about Whit’s ability to start, over the past few years I’ve been kinda alone on an island defending the decision to give him multiple shots in the rotation.
The reason for my concern is the same reason Cashman left him unprotected, he has always been at high risk for injury. Paying double, or even $8M more as you speculated, just didn’t make sense for that reason.
BTW – Crawford, who HAS been a very good starter since last year, has made a combined $1.49M in 2023-2024.
Whitlock’s contract bought two club options at the end, Expected that he will be paid a little better on the arbitration years.
Dont feel bad for whit, yes it sucks he’s always hurt…but he did sign a 4 year $18,750,000 contract……I bet if you ask most pitchers they would rather start because thats where the potential pay day is.
Good relivers are catching up with higher paying contracts since they have to pitch the last 4 innings of most games now a days.
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be pitchers…
Got to be the manipulated balls
That’s what she said?
File under: Spaghetti O, Uh oh
Damn put him in pen and leave him there wtf I just don’t understand boston now a days and I’m a huge fan
TJS on average lasts about eight years. Perhaps he’ll end up on the shorter side.
Should be in the bullpen.
I also don’t think Bello’s going to make the full season, which is why I said I would rather him in AAA than Winckowski. Either way, these guys are young and both Winck and Whitlock have been shifted role to role.
No he does not belong in the bullpen.
quadrupling down on the sending bello to AAA doesn’t make that take less wrong. He’s been a good starter right now which is way more valuable than what Wink is providing.
Bello has nothing left to prove in the minors. He was averaging 12 strikeouts per 9 innings there.
Agreed, it’s just frustrating to watch Bello because he’s an AAAA pitcher at best. I say this more out of frustration than anything, especially when I see Winck succeeding more. Bello can barely get enough strikeouts at the MLB level, so it’s odd his stats aren’t converting.
Whitlock doesn’t belong in the pen? No, the truth is, Whitlock doesn’t belong on the IL, and that’s where he is when he starts. Additionally, Whitlock isn’t needed as a 5 inning starter that wears down our bullpen because he can’t go deep. He would help this team more in the bullpen.
you’ve picked a very weird hill to die on with Bello. He’s not a quad pitcher by any standard. You’re veering into KD17/trolled and FPG territory with this one.
@acell10 I think that’s disrespectful that you say I fall into KD / Fever territory because I have not verbally attacked others like they have. And no offense, but now I see why Fever Pitch bullies you. You don’t like my opinion, then move on. I said what I said.
And the sad part is I’ve actually defended you against him. I don’t take it personally but I’m clearly not trolling. Even if I’m wrong, I’m not trolling
And we really don’t know about Bello, but he doesn’t look so great to me. None of his numbers are transferring from AAA. His strikeout rate was phenomenal in AAA and in the Majors it’s meh
This take on bello is so far a field it’s coming across as trolling. And I’m not saying you’re making personal attacks. My point in comparing what you you said to them was that KD and FPG will often dig in their heels on a take no matter how of the reservation it sounds. If you don’t like people pointing out the folly of what you’re saying then evaluate why instead of taking it personally. it’s an open forum. people are allowed to respond to what you say.
I don’t take what they say personally and you shouldn’t either and even though you’re denying you’re obviously taking what I’m saying personally. Please don’t
I’ll go as far as saying I trust every other starter in the rotation before I trust Bello. I just don’t see the hype or fascination around him yet.
Ok that’s a measured take. I disagree with it but thats much different than calling him a quad A pitcher.
Fine, to each their own. There’s just something about Bello I don’t trust. His numbers just fall off coming to the Majors… Makes no sense to me. His FIP is over 4.40 too, people fail to realize that. He’s just not as hyped up as people claim him to be.
So I don’t see how my argument is farfetched when his numbers ring mediocre.
I have no problem with the signing. Let’s hope for the best, but let’s not expect him to be an ace. I would have just rather allocated the money elsewhere when the purse is tight.
a lot of pitchers have an adjustment period. he’s still young with plenty of room to grow.
Well, who do you consider a AAAA pitcher?
He’s a AAAA pitcher to me until his numbers start showing what they were in the Minors. His strikeout rate went from a 12.5 in AAA to a 7.7. That’s not a normal regression to the Majors. His WHIP also increased measurably.
I highly doubt any of those three members you mentioned used actual numbers… I have issues with those guys too, by the way. They complain more than they give facts. Just hate the fact you put me next to them, but whatever.
Not accusing you of trolling, but I think you are wrong on Bello. Taking his age into account, and the fact that this is just his second full year, I think he has a strong chance of being a solid #2/#3 starter. If he stays healthy, of course.
There simply aren’t very many quality starters in the majors, so guys who can do that are pretty valuable.
I got a lot of push back too for saying to put this guy in the pen over Winckowski. Maybe they’re both not ready, but we’ve seen Whitlock be effective in the pen and why fix what ain’t broke?
We don’t need the Daniel Bard experience. Honestly, Whitlock could’ve been our closer if they trained him effectively.
Because starters are more valuable than relievers, and he was doing a good job as a starter this year.
I disagree that starters are more valuable. In most cases, you’re right, but Cora let’s most guys only go 5 innings, so we need anchors in the bullpen.
It’s not that Whitlock is bad as a starter, it’s the fact that he was a lights out reliever and an absolute anchor in the bullpen. Every time he starts, he gets set back with injuries or something else of that nature. Call it bad luck or whatever, but when he was a reliever, he actually pitched.
Houck was very effective in the pen too and sticking with him as starter is paying dividends. I think this might be the end of Whitlock as a starting pitcher though. Obviously, Sox won’t come out and say it right away. I think they wanted to take another chance on his ceiling as a starter and also be fair to the player, since I remember his contract had some pretty hefty bonuses tied to him being a starter. Hopefully the club and the player are ready to admit that his arm might only have so many bullets left and they use him accordingly. Sad for Whitlock he’s an easy guy to root for
The two way player will become popular in the future. There will be at least 10 in 5 years. Book it
Hotdog – What they do behind closed doors really isn’t relevant.
Might already be 10 for all we know…
Going from pen to starter hasn’t worked our well in most cases, and usually an injury results.
Injuries happen regardless of role. Every reliever is a failed starter.
YBC – I vaguely remember the names of 4 pitchers that fit what you describe, failed starters who did okay as relievers.
Goose something?
Dave Spaghetti or something?
Mariano something?
Eck something?
Can we please just end the Whitlock as a starter experiment? It’s been clear for a long time that his body can not stand up to the rigors of starting.
I think it’s much more useful to the team to have a lockdown BP arm that can go 2 innings than it is to have a decent starter that will go 5 innings 10-15 times a year because he can’t stay healthy.
Stop the madness.