Should Red Sox Go To 6-Man Rotation? 'Definitely Considering It,' Says Craig Breslow

There are always a few hot button topics every Major League Baseball team has to consider at the start of spring training each year.

Sep 22, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford (50) pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

This season, it seems as though six-man rotations will be all the rage, as teams weigh the health of their starting pitchers against getting their aces on the mound as often as possible. The Boston Red Sox, who enter spring training with six quality rotation options, are one of the teams most suited for the move.

Plenty of teams have gone to the six-man method for short stretches, but only the Los Angeles Angels, while they had Shohei Ohtani pitching for them, committed to it on a more permanent basis. That's because Ohtani doesn't count as a pitcher on the roster, so his team can keep the same number of relievers as everyone else.

Yet the Red Sox also saw, during the dog days of the 2024 summer, how a typical workload wore down many of their starters--especially Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford. Plus, six-man rotations lessen the likelihood of arm injuries, which have been rampant across Major League Baseball.

During his media availability on Tuesday, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow seemed to indicate that a six-man rotation was a very legitimate possibility, at least on occasion, for this Boston staff.

“We’re definitely considering it,” Breslow said. “I think there are a few factors that will help determine the viability. Obviously health is one. Performance is another."

"We’ll take a look at the schedule early in the season and optimize matchups and recovery. But it’s definitely in consideration I think largely because we have a number of starting pitchers who are major league caliber who are capable of us winning games.”

With only 13 pitchers allowed on a roster, the Red Sox would have to get through a series with only seven relief pitchers if and when they used a six-man rotation. That could create some interesting roster discussions--for instance, do they need a de facto seventh starter to be ready out of the bullpen for long relief duties?

It's going to continue to be a talking point at least until Opening Day approaches and the Red Sox make a concrete judgment on the makeup of their rotation. And it frankly might spill over well into the season, unless whatever they're doing is working perfectly.