The 4 and 5 spots in the Red Sox rotation are in question. There are several in house option which could fill those two spots.

Daniel Bard: Bard has seemed to be the favorite to be one of the 4 or 5 starters. He’s a great reliever, but he hasn’t started since 2007 in the low minor leagues. He seems to be a better fit as a reliever in the setup role. His 100+ mph fastball is the perfect out pitch late in games. As a starter he wouldn’t be able to just throw fastball as a starter. He’d need to expand his arsenal to become less predictable.

Alfredo Aceves: Aceves was the other top choice at the seasons end, because he’s proven he can start and be a good reliever. I don’t believe he can go deep in games, but with this reloaded pen the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings seem set. He can be reliable, but they can find better options and use Aceves where he’s best

Felix Doubront: Doubront has had his ups and downs. He’s been great at times, and struggled at others. If Doubront can stay consistent He’d be a nice fit at the back end of the rotation. Also another lefty couldn’t hurt either.

Aaron Cook: Cook is a recent addition who has had his ups and downs. The upside is that he’s a fantastic ground ball pitcher which works well in Fenway. Provided he can stay somewhat consistent he could end up being the best fit out of this group.

Vicente Padilla: Padilla has had the most up and down career of the group, but has never shined. I’ve also heard he’s only competing for a relief job, so he’s highly unlikely to grab a job.

Andrew Miller: Miller hasn’t impressed anyone since he hit the big leagues in Detroit. His high walk rate doesn’t bode well for him or the Sox.

 Junichi Tazawa: Tazawa has been good in his short stops in the MLB. Injuries have played a major part of his development. If he can get healthy he’ll be fantastic based on previous success.

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