Boston Red Sox to sign starting pitcher Michael Wacha pending physical (report) - masslive.com

The Boston Red Sox are finalizing a one-year contract with right-handed starting pitcher Michael Wacha pending a physical, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Friday.

Wacha went 3-5 with a 5.05 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, .270 batting average against, 2.2 walks per nine innings and 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 29 outings (23 starts) for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021. He finished with a 4.53 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 23 starts.

The 30-year-old posted a 3.00 ERA and 0.73 WHIP in six outings (five starts) during the final month. He struck out 30 and walked five in 30 innings during that stretch.

He throws a four-seam fastball, changeup, cutter, curveball and sinker. His changeup was his best pitch in 2021. He held opponents to a .207 batting average and .355 slugging percentage when he threw it.

He ranked in the 92nd percentile among MLB pitchers in chase rate and 84th percentile in walk percentage. But all his other advanced metrics were in the bottom half the league. That includes the second percentile in expected slugging percentage, eighth percentile in expected batting average and 11th percentile in both barrel percentage and xERA.

He also ranked in the 18th percentile in hard percentage and 17th percentile in both fastball spin and curveball spin.

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Boston Red Sox to sign starting pitcher Michael Wacha pending physical (report) - masslive.com
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