From a free agent market with at least a few pitchers trying to rehabilitate their value after having their careers derailed by injury, the Red Sox decided to take the plunge with Garrett Richards (RHP, BOS). Thus far, it is not working out as either had hoped it might.
Richards’ main issue has been his control — 13 walks in 16.2 IP and a K-BB% of minus-1 just is not going to get the job done.
But Richards’ fastball velocity has also been down noticeably in the early going, down to an average of 93.5 mph after averaging between 95 and 96 mph throughout his career.
As Jen McCarthy noted in a recent piece for The Athletic, one possible explanation for Richards’ early struggles is his need to acclimate to pitching in colder...
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