At one point, the Boston Red Sox picking up Clay Buchholz's $13.5 million contract option for 2017 looked like a non-starter given his struggles this year. But considering his performance of late, Buchholz might become a valuable trade chip come the offseason, according to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo.
Cafardo notes that the free-agent market is expected to be thin on starters this winter, which could make Buchholz, who may be moved back the bullpen, an attractive commodity. The 32 year old went 6 1/3 innings on Tuesday and struck out nine in the Red Sox's win over the Tampa Bay Rays.