11:44 AM: Whitlock hopes to play normally during Spring Training, he told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other media. His offseason career so far has stretched to 15 pitches in bullpen sessions.
11:31 AM: Garrett Whitlock he will miss the first month or two of the 2025 season as he recovers from internal ligament surgery last May, but when the right-hander returns to action, he will be part of the bullpen. Whitlock told reporters (including Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe) today that the Red Sox intend to use him as a catcher next season.
The news isn’t a big surprise, given Whitlock’s health and the fact that the Sox have plenty of cash left over for the team to consider using a six-man rotation to get everyone innings. There’s also the fact that Whitlock has been significantly better as a reliever (2.65 ERA in 132 2/3 innings) than a starter (4.29 ERA in 109 innings) during his big league career.
After being selected away from the Yankees in the 2020 Rule 5 draft, Whitlock burst onto the Major League scene as a reliever when he posted an impressive 1.96 ERA over 73 1/3 innings in the 2021 season. It was a huge breakout for a pitcher who had never worked at Triple-A before making his MLB debut, and the Red Sox jumped to capitalize on that potential by signing Whitlock to a contract extension that will net him at least $18.75MM through the 2023-26 seasons, and could potentially end up being a one-year deal. six, $44MM based on club and escalator options.
The Red Sox tried Whitlock as a starter in 2022, but returned him to the bullpen after missing a month with hip inflammation, and Whitlock continued to perform well in a relief role before undergoing season-ending hip surgery. in September. Whitlock was reinstated as the starter for the 2023 season, but struggled to a 5.23 ERA in 51 2/3 innings over 10 starts before returning to the relief team. In the process, Whitlock had a 4.95 ERA in 20 innings as a reliever the rest of the season, as other elbow issues were a major issue for Whitlock’s 2023 campaign.
Injuries resurfaced in 2024, with Whitlock not riding again after suffering an oblique strain in mid-April. A month after being placed on IL, Whitlock went to Triple-A again with elbow soreness, and eventually UCL damage that required surgery. Ironically, Whitlock looked sharp in his four starts of the 2024 season, as a 1.96 ERA in 18 1/3 innings suggested he was finally ready to step up as a regular member of Boston’s rotation.
It still appears possible that the Sox could use Whitlock as a starter again in 2026 or beyond, depending on his health, their rotation needs, or if the Red Sox exercise their club options on his services for the 2027 or 2028 seasons. However, it’s possible that keeping Whitlock in a relief role would be the best way to keep him off the injured list. With Boston hoping to get a quality starter on the cheap, having Whitlock as the “only” top-innings bullpen weapon is a nice silver lining, assuming Whitlock can recapture his 2021-22 form. .
Aroldis Chapman again Justin Wilson the most high-profile new additions to the Boston bullpen this offseason, and the exact nature of the relief mix may not be known for a long time. The Red Sox still need to figure out which five or six arms will make up their rotation, which extreme starters can be used in the bullpen, and who will be healthy. Apart from Whitlock, Lucas Giolito, Patrick Sandovalagain Michael Fulmer they are all coming back from long term injuries.
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