Red Sox skipper Alex Cora explains the decision to send Josh Winckowski to Triple-A Worcester
The Red Sox plan to have Josh Winckowski join the WooSox rotation following his demotion to Triple-A on Sunday.
Boston optioned Winckowski to clear a spot for Brayan Bello, who was returning from the injured list. Bello made the start for the Red Sox on Sunday in the series finale against the Nationals.
“This decision was based on the roster and what we feel we need right now to win as many games as possible right now and obviously for him to be better,” manager Alex Cora said to reporters at Fenway Park.
The move to option Winckowski came as a surprise considering how he’s been used by the Red Sox the last couple of seasons. Boston could have chosen to option Zack Kelly or lefties Brennan Bernardino and Cam Booser; all three have options and have pitched for Worcester this season.
“Love having the two lefties, and Zack is throwing the ball well,” Cora said. “I think he’ll benefit from going down there and work on his repertoire.”
Instead, the Red Sox will have Winckowski stretch out as a starter and offer protection in the event another starter goes down with an injury.
“The message is go down there and work,” Cora said. “That’s the bottom line. Like I said, we’re much more talented than last year. And there’s going to be tough decisions. And there’s more tough decisions coming up. Over the five years (as manager), the message is a lot easier now. Kind of like, for us to be good, we have to be better in certain aspects. I know the numbers are the numbers from last year. But there’s a few things this year that he’s been off. He knows it. Obviously disappointed that he’s going to the minors, but we’ve all been through that. So just go down there and work. If he wants to come back here, then do the things that you have to do and the things you can control, and he’ll be back.”
Winckowski was one of the Red Sox's best relievers last season, posting a 2.88 ERA over 60 appearances. The 25-year-old wasn’t having a bad year for the Red Sox, he owned a 3.33 ERA across 12 appearances, including a rotation-leading 1.69 ERA in three starts. Ultimately the team needs to find a role for him and let him develop for that whether it’s as a starter or reliever.
The Red Sox will be back in the same spot soon, with Garrett Whitlock close to returning from the injured list.
“We’re much more talented than last year,” Cora said. “There’s going to be tough decisions, and there’s more tough decisions coming up.”
