"Pitchers are going to get hurt. It's unavoidable. In 2025, 369 players appeared as a starting pitcher, an average of 12.3 per team. That includes some relievers who appeared as openers, but no team in baseball made it through the entire season with a five-man rotation surviving the entire season. The Red Sox used 15 different starting pitchers. At the end of the season, despite a system full of pitching depth, the Red Sox rotation was reduced to essentially three men."
"If you have a pitcher who can give you 15 outs at the major league level, especially one who can be stashed in the minor leagues, hold on to them. This winter, when the Red Sox sign a career journeyman to a minor-league deal, don't complain that it isn't a big move. At some point, they'll need to fill in for a spot start. They might allow seven runs over six innings, but someone needs to fill innings to get through a 162-game season."
Losses provide learning while most teams finish a season without a trophy. In 2025, 369 players appeared as starting pitchers, averaging 12.3 per team, and no team preserved a five-man rotation intact for the full season. The Red Sox employed 15 different starters and ended with essentially a three-man rotation after injuries. Carrying pitchers who can eat innings, including minor-league-stashed journeymen, is valuable for durability over 162 games. The Dodgers also cycled many starters (17), raising questions about their handling of high-profile, injury-prone acquisitions and regular-season workload management.
Read at Over the Monster
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