But Cherington also continues to focus on identifying “guys that look like they have a couple of hickeys.”
In other words, he’s seeking pitchers with undervalued assets who ultimately will exceed expectations.
“If we do our jobs well, the high-impact pitcher isn’t necessarily someone that looks like a high-impact pitcher right now,” Cherington said recently.
The blueprint is right-hander Alfredo Aceves, a footnote when the Sox signed him to a split contract less than a week before spring training. The Yankees had discarded him because of back problems and a broken collarbone suffered in a November 2010 bike injury.
Herald | Red Sox still avoiding major arms race
Shocking, a Red Sox GM is more interested in finding good value than in just getting someone reliable.
That snark aside, I think it's wise that the Sox have held out on spending big money this offseason. People seem mad about it, but what do you want? We already had a Yankees-level spending spree last year in both prospects and money. We can't do it every year.
Of course, the Aceveses of the world are hard to land successfully. For every Aceves, there's a Gagne, Smoltz, or Penny.
The good news is, it doesn't sound like we're really in need of starting pitching if both Aceves and Bard can be stretched out. We'll need depth, but it's not like we really need to spend eight figures on somebody.
