With Rick Porcello’s 2015 performance proving worse than even the lowest expectations that could have been imagined for the sinkerballer, let’s consider some of the free-agent options the Red Sox could have pursued rather than trade for Porcello last offseason — and then extend him through 2019 for $82.5 million.
Here is a look at those would-be alternatives, and note that with the exception of injury and drug suspension, every other option has performed better than the 26-year-old Porcello, who is 4-9 with a 6.08 ERA and a paltry WAR of 0.2 this season:
Pitcher Age W-L ERA WAR Yrs/salary
Max Scherzer 30 9-5 1.