Just like that the Red Sox career of probably the most frustration player I've ever witnessed is officially over. It was just announced that the Red Sox traded pitcher Clay Buccholz to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league second basemen Josh Tobias. After parts of 10 seasons with the Red Sox the ride is over.
After throwing a no hitter in his second career major league start back in 2007 the Clay Buccholz hype was at all time high. I remember watching the end of that game, it was right before my sophomore year of high school started. Now as a 25 year old Clay is gone, looking at time in that way it is absolutely crazy Buccholz has been on the Red Sox for that long and what was even crazier is how everybody kept saying about all the potential he had. The dude is a 10 year major league vet and we're still talking potential, like at what point do you realize what Clay Buccholz is? When healthy he can give you some extremely quality innings. Even glimpses of greatness. As Red Sox fans we saw what he did in 2010 and for the first 3 months of 2013. But for most of the other 8 plus seasons it was annual trips to the DL and never being the consistent top of the rotation starter everybody was expecting after Clay no hit the Orioles in 2007. Buccholz during his time in Boston was a 2 time All-Star but also the most frustating player of all time with his inconsistencies and inabilities to give the Red Sox a full season's worth of starts. Yet despite all of this I'm kind of sad to see him go. After a HORRIBLE start to 2016. Like historically horrible start he actually wasn't that bad for the Red Sox down the stretch, especially when you consider the role the Red Sox gave him. It was his first time he was not starting since he became a full time starting pitcher in 2008. He got demoted and it was actually the wake up call that he needed. In the 2nd half of the season his era was 3.22 and he went 5-1. In the first half Buccholz was 2-7 with a 5.22 era. In the playoffs he gave the Red Sox their best starting performance of the series in game 3. I'm okay with moving on from Buccholz considering how frustrating he was to deal with as a Red Sox fan and the quality of the rest of their starters but they basically traded him for a bag of balls.
10 seasons. 81-61. 3.96 ERA. Not horrible but not what anybody was expecting after 2007. Goodbye Clay.
P.S. After Papi retiring, Tazawa signing with the Marlins and Buccholz to the Phils. The Red Sox lost 3 of their 4 most tenured players this off season. This is absolutely insane to me.
That's right JBJ who debuted in 2013 is now the Red Sox 2nd longest tenured player and I feel like I'm 65 years old.
1 Comment
1/5/2017 02:29:32 am
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