Pitching role changes have been synonymous with Garrett Whitlock during his time with the Red Sox.
He flipped back and forth as a starting pitcher and reliever for the Red Sox for two seasons before the organization settled on making Whitlock a full-time starting pitcher this past season. But things didn’t go as planned. Whitlock made four solid starts in the first few weeks of the season but an elbow injury sidelined the him for the rest of the campaign.
Whitlock’s sights have been set on next season for a long time now, but his role in the starting rotation isn’t solidified. He has to be used to that by now given the frequency in which he moved from the bullpen to the starting staff during his tenure with Boston.
The Red Sox yet again have to make a decision on Whitlock’s role. And Red Sox 2013 World Series champion and NESN analyst Will Middlebrooks believes Whitlock — and the Red Sox — would be better off if the talented right-hander returned to the bullpen.
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“This is pure opinion on my part,” Middlebrooks told NESN.com. “The best ability is availability and he has not shown that he can stay healthy as a starting pitcher. I love him as a starting pitcher. I love his stuff. I think he is a big, strong kid that can be a horse, but you’re either healthy and available or you’re not.”
Injuries have derailed Whitlock’s time with the Red Sox after a terrific first season with the franchise in 2021 when he exclusively served as a reliever. The 28-year-old underwent hip surgery prior to the 2023 season and also dealt with right elbow ulnar neuritis, which limited him to just 22 appearances that season.
Whitlock headed to the injured list in mid-April this past season due to a left oblique strain but then hurt his elbow in his throwing arm during a rehab assignment. He underwent surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament with a brace repair — a similar procedure Trevor Story went through — in late May.
If the Red Sox want to lessen his workload and have him pitch in short bursts instead of being stretched out, the bullpen might be the way to go even though he gained traction as a starter in 2024. Whitlock went 1-0 in his four starts with a 1.96 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings.
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But Whitlock’s career numbers suggest he’s much more productive as a reliever than a starter. Whitlock owns a 2.65 ERA and a 1.048 WHIP over 80 career relief appearances to go along with 150 strikeouts in 132 2/3 innings. As a starter, those numbers aren’t as impressive with Whitlock registering a 4.29 ERA, 1.266 WHIP and just 102 strikeouts in 109 innings. He also posted a 6-4 record in 23 career starts.
Whitlock moving back to the bullpen would bolster a unit that struggled over the second half of the season. And perhaps in that role once again he could rediscover his dominant form which helped the Red Sox make a run to the American League Championship Series in 2021.
“When he got to the big leagues, that first year-and-a-half, he was so good. So good in the bullpen in whatever role you wanted to put him in,” Middlebrooks said. “I just think that’s a way to keep him healthy. I think it’s a way to really tap into even better stuff when he only needs to get three to six outs and he doesn’t have to say, ‘OK, I need to try to throw five, six innings here. I’m going to throw 90 to 100 pitches and I’m going to pitch at 94 (mph).’ Well now he can pitch at 96. We’ll see how he comes back off the injury. But you got to expect a tick up in velocity if he’s in the bullpen. And I think we’ve seen the stuff play and I trust that.”
