Hermida seems to be a continuation of the Red Sox' business model that brought in Brad Penny, John Smoltz and Rocco Baldelli last winter. He's another cheap contract with the chance to be something bigger. It didn't work out for the Sox in 2009 — none of their low-risk pickups turned out to be superstars — but the team's front office hasn't given up hope. Examine general manager Theo Epstein's comments last week after trading for the Marlins outfielder.
"He hasn't fulfilled his potential yet," Epstein said, according to MLB Trade Rumors. "We acquired him today to see if he can fulfill that potential."
Hermida is 25 and has plenty of raw ability offensively but hasn't quite honed his game to become a full-time starter in Boston. Sounds a lot like Baldelli.
But who are the Penny and Smoltz of this year's crop of new Red Sox? Who are the low-risk pitchers that the Sox can serve a cup of coffee in the big leagues?
Here are two names: Erik Bedard and Justin Duchscherer.
Both are between 30 and 31, both have shown flashes of brilliance over the past two to three years and both have had trouble staying healthy consistently. But either one — unless the injury bug rears its ugly head in 2010 — has the potential to be the steal of the offseason.
Bedard was considered one of the most promising young pitchers in the game just two years ago. On Feb. 8, 2008, the Mariners showed so much faith in Bedard that they put together a five-player package — featuring a quality big-league reliever in George Sherrill and their top prospect in Adam Jones — to wrestle him away from Baltimore. Sherrill became the Orioles' closer; Jones became an All-Star at 23.
And Bedard has done very little. In four seasons in Baltimore, Bedard had a 3.82 ERA and 638 strikeouts in 657 1/3 innings; his numbers have been similarly solid in Seattle, but his problem is that he can't stay healthy.
In 2008 alone, Bedard fell victim to an inflamed left hip in April, nagging back spasms in June and a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery in July. He made just 15 starts that year. The shoulder problems resurfaced again the following June — Bedard, model of consistency, again made just 15 starts in 2009.
He might never be the same. He certainly won't command the $7.75 million that the Mariners threw at him in 2008. But at the right price, he's worth a shot.
Duchscherer's story is similar. He was an All-Star setup man in Oakland in 2005, putting up a 2.21 ERA in a whopping 85 2/3 innings, and he then reinvented himself as a starter at age 30. It worked: In 2008, he was an All-Star again, winning 10 games before the break and even beginning to hear some Cy Young buzz.
But he hasn't pitched in over a year. Since last August, he's gone through a multitude of problems both on and off the field — complications from a previous hip injury, arm troubles and a battle with clinical depression. Duchscherer is damaged goods at this point, but it's hard to deny he's got talent.
Like Bedard, he'll have to take a pay cut. Duchscherer avoided arbitration this season by signing a one-year, $3.9 million deal with Billy Beane and the Athletics; he's not likely to make that kind of money again. So if the Red Sox can spend $1 or $2 million on a potentially stellar fifth starter, it's an option worth pondering.
Both Bedard and Duchscherer are long shots to end up in Boston. They're two of the better options out there for low-risk investments in starting pitching, and the Red Sox are far from the only team that's likely to shop in the bargain bin.
But this is the Jeremy Hermida era in Boston.
