With Opening Day coming up quickly (Thursday, April 5th), many were wondering when new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine would finally reveal what his rotation is going to be for 2012. Â This morning, Valentine finally announced what pitchers would round out the Red Sox rotation.
Last week Valentine announced that Jon Lester would be pitching on Opening Day and the rotation would be set so Josh Beckett would be pitching the Red Sox home opener on Friday, April 13th. Â So we knew the first three pitchers would be going Lester, Beckett and Clay Buchholz but the final two spots were still question marks. Â The speculating is now over because Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard will be the four and five starters for the Red Sox once the season begins.
Choosing Bard didn’t really come as a surprise but there was a tight race between Doubront and Alfredo Aceves for the other position with Doubront winning out and Aceves going to the bullpen to begin the season. Â One of the best pitchers this spring, in 2011, Aceves was essentially the team’s most valuable asset out of the bullpen. Â He made 51 appearances out of the ‘pen in 2011 and, along with his four starts, compiled a 10-2 record with a 2.61 ERA. Â Valentine said Aceves “wasn’t happy” about being sent to the bullpen but the Red Sox are in a position where they need a pitcher as strong and talented as Aceves in their bullpen.
In April there will be three “celebration†days at Fenway Park: The home opener, Patriots’ Day and the game celebrating Fenway’s 100th anniversary. If the rotation stays as set, along with Beckett pitching the opener, Bard will get the ball for Patriots’ Day and Buchholz will take the mound against the New York Yankees for the 100th anniversary game.
(Originally published on Examiner.com)