The Best Rule 5 Selection by the Red Sox

I have talked before about the Rule 5 Draft and the selections Boston has made over the years.  There are not a whole lot of big success stories, but players like Vaughn Eshelman, Lenny DiNardo, Adam Stern and, more recently, Jonathan Arauz, have had some success.  But nothing like this guy:

Garrett Whitlock was taken from the Yankees, making his success that much sweeter.  He was coming off of Tommy John surgery so there was some question about whether other teams would be interested in him.  Boston took a flier and that was one of the team's best moves.

Whitlock settled into the bullpen in 2021 and was a major part of the team's success.  In 46 games spanning 73.1 innings, he had a 1.96 ERA and a record of 8-4.  He notched two saves and struck out 81 batters while walking just 17.  He had a 2.16 ERA in the postseason, winning a game and striking out five in 8.1 innings.  

In 2022, Boston experimented with him as a starter, which was met with mixed success.  He also had some injury problems and ended up pitching in just 31 games, including nine starts.  He had a 4-2 record and a 3.45 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched, striking out 82 and walking 15.  He also picked up six saves.

Whitlock is a versatile pitcher, but it would be nice to know which direction the team will take him.  He has been told to prepare to be a starter and I think his stuff would be best served in that role, but there is a certain amount of security to the idea of bringing him in for a couple innings at a time in the middle or end of the game.  One thing is for certain: Whitlock is one of the best bargains the team has picked up in years.