Michael Wacha: Top 3 landing spots for the veteran free agent pitcher

Kansas City Royals v Boston Red Sox
Michael Wacha remains one of the top starting pitchers available on the free agent market

Michael Wacha may be the ideal candidate for teams looking to add pitching depth before the new season begins. While most teams have their pitching rotations figured out as Spring Training approaches, some teams would be wise to add the veteran starter before it's too late.

"The fact that Michael Wacha is still a free agent because some nerd stats say he was lucky for 127 innings is one of the many problems with baseball" - Christian SoxKehd

While advanced metrics suggest that Wacha is due for some regression this upcoming season, the 31-year-old delivered a solid season for the Boston Red Sox last year. The starter posted a 3.32 ERA and a 11-2 record through 23 starts with Boston, racking up 104 strikeouts over 127.1 innings.

Although he may not be able to produce at that level this coming season, Michael Wacha has been a decent rotation piece throughout his MLB career. Over his career, he has a 74-50 record with 1,021 strikeouts and a 4.05 ERA. Here is a look at three ideal landing spots for the veteran right-handed pitcher.

1. The Los Angeles Angels could be the perfect fit for Michael Wacha

Even though the Los Angeles Angels have assembled a pitching rotation with high upside, there is a chance that their young arms could fail. While the rotation will be headlined by Shohei Ohtani, the remaining pitchers have the potential to either shine or collapse this season.

"#Angels 'showing interest' in C Gary Sanchez, SP Michael Wacha, SS Elvis Andrus, and RPs Zach Britton & Andrew Chafin" - Raw Chili

Their big offseason acquisition Tyler Anderson is coming off the best season of his career, however, prior to his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Anderson has been mediocre at best. If he cannot continue where he left off last year, the Angels may need to seek additional help. Enter Wacha, who could provide the club with a cheap depth piece who can start or pitch out of the bullpen.

2. A return to the Boston Red Sox

This one seems simple, but why not return to the club where Wacha performed well? Not only did Wacha deliver a solid season for the Boston Red Sox, but he is now familiar with the team as well as Fenway Park.

A return to the Red Sox, even on a short-term deal, could benefit both parties. Despite Boston having several starters on the roster, including Chris Sale, Corey Kluber and James Paxton, none of those names have a shining track record of good health.

3. Could the Minnesota Twins be a fit?

Similar to both the Angels and Red Sox, Michael Wacha could be an ideal depth arm to help bolster the Minnesota Twins rotation. While the Twins have several solid pitchers on their depth chart, Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda and Chris Paddack have all missed time due to injury.

"SP Michael Wacha's market has been heating up the last couple of days. #Padres, #Orioles, #Twins, and #Angels are teams in connection with Michael Wacha, per source" - thirdbasenews

Yes, the Twins did land Pablo Lopez in a trade with the Miami Marlins, but the rest of the rotation has either struggled with consistency or injuries. If Wacha were to land with Minnesota, he could be an interesting long-relief pitcher for the club with the ability to make sporadic starts.

Quick Links

Edited by Rajdeep Barman
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications