Richards finds a coach in Varitek
Ex-Sox catcher working on pace with new hurler
Struggling to throw strikes consistently this spring, Garrett Richards got advice from a trusted source.
Jason Varitek, the Red Sox’ primary catcher for the majority of their games from 1997 through 2011, is in the first season in his new role as game planning coordinator. But he also knows a thing or two about pitching.
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“Me and Tek have been talking about the pace, and I’ve just been trying to make hitters uncomfortable by being fast,” Richards said. “Not only does it give me less time to think about stuff, which I think is better, but it helps me make pitches and correct pitches from pitch to pitch, so it’s a really good way for me to keep my pace going and keep everything moving in the right direction.”
According to pitch data, Richards has averaged 24.5 seconds between pitches throughout his career, a bit slower than the MLB average in that time.
The kind of pitcher who considers himself very mechanical, often tinkering with his delivery to find what feels just right, Richards brings back memories of Clay Buchholz. Varitek caught Buchholz 22 times. Buchholz, too, was on the slower side, averaging 28.2 seconds between pitches.
Having Varitek to guide him has been “tremendous,” Richards said.
“It’s always nice to talk to your battery mate, position wise, and obviously he played in the league for a long time and has a lot of knowledge,” Richards said. “So I’ve just been picking his brain on what he sees that I’m doing and things that I can get better at.
“He’s been a great resource. I’ve really enjoyed talking pitching with him.”
Richards has undoubtedly been wild this spring, with 11 walks to 14 strikeouts in 13 M innings. But he’s looking more in command now than he did in his first two outings.
Manager Alex Cora noticed the change in pace, per Varitek’s recommendation.
“Good tempo,” Cora said. “Attacking the strike zone. He threw a lot of pitches. That was his long one. His next one will be shorter. He went 92 pitches today. That was really good. You can see him improving each outing, working on his mechanics, on his pitches. He looked great today.”
E-Rod OK
Eduardo Rodriguez appears to be going through a deadarm period, but Cora remains unbothered by it with just 10 days to go before Opening Day.
Rodriguez was checked out by the trainers on Tuesday, one day after looking gassed in his spring training outing. Head trainer Brad Pearson gave Rodriguez the go-ahead to continue on his five-day schedule as normal.
“I’m comfortable,” Cora said. “Everything is going the way it’s supposed to.”
Closer battle continues
Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino will keep competing for the closer spot with back-to-back outings in the coming days.
“We’re getting close,” Cora said. “I do believe both of them are throwing the ball well … We know the group. It’s just a matter to make that decision, and like I said, before we go to Boston, we’ll know how the structure is going to be, but I’m not ready to name a closer yet.”
One more for the ’pen
There’s a new reliever in the mix for a spot in the bullpen.
Kevin McCarthy, 29, signed a minor league contract with the Sox in November, but has appeared to work his way into the reliever competition.
He has a career 3.80 ERA over five seasons with the Kansas City Royals. And he’s yet to allow an earned run in six innings this spring.
“He’s been efficient,” Cora said. “He keeps the ball down. We talk about expanding sometimes up in the zone, but you can actually expand down in the zone. He’s done that. He’s a veteran who knows what he’s doing on the mound. We like him.
“We’ve got what, eight days, seven days to make decisions? He’s a guy we really like a lot. His stuff is different than others we have in camp, and that’s always good, being versatile, having something different. We’ll see where it takes us.”