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Boston Red Sox Make Major Starting Pitching Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By TJ French | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 2:39 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox pitching staff will heavily rely on the top three rotation arms being able to produce and eat innings. Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, and Walker Buehler will be the team's workhorses until Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford return.

It has already been announced that Bello and Crawford will start the season on the Injured List, which leaves an opportunity for the final two rotation spots to start the year.

On Friday, Alex Cora announced that 25-year-old right-hander Richard Fitts will be Boston's fourth starter to open up the regular season, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

Cora says Fitts will be the No. 4 starter. Priester and Newcomb remain the two candidates for No. 5.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 22, 2025

Fitts has had an impressive spring, recording a 2.45 ERA in 14.2 innings, and it's been shown throughout camp that Fitts had been a strong candidate due to larger workloads and stretched outings.

Cora also iterated that the fifth spot in the rotation is still a competition between youngster Quinn Priester and non-roster invite Sean Newcomb. Newcomb has also had an impressive camp and would help the rotation stay balanced.

Fitts started four games for the Red Sox in 2024 and made the most of his opportunity. It was his first taste of MLB, and he pitched to a 1.74 ERA over 20.2 innings.

It will likely be performance-based, but it's unclear how long Fitts will stay in the rotation. Bello is set to only miss a couple of weeks, and he has a solidified spot in the rotation. After Bello's return, Fitts, Newcomb, and Priester could compete for the fifth starter spot.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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