The Boston Red Sox made an abundance of offseason moves to revamp what’s now their new-look roster for 2023, which included cutting ties with several members of the 2022 squad.
Whether through trade, signing elsewhere, or just flat-out getting cut, a few former Red Sox aren’t faring well with their new clubs. In fact, they’ve gone ice-cold, kicking off their respective regular season campaigns in a substandard fashion. Then again, there’s plenty of time to flip the script. But for now, here are three ex-Red Sox members from 2022 who aren’t performing up to par with their new teams:
Michael Wacha, San Diego Padres
The Red Sox took a flyer on Michael Wacha, bringing the former All-Star starting pitcher on board last season on a one-year deal.
Surprisingly, that move paid off with Wacha giving Boston more than required for its $7 million investment. Wacha led the Red Sox rotation in wins (11), pitching to a 3.32 ERA over the course of 127 1/3 innings on the mound. Slowly it became clear that, while anchored for a portion of the year due to trips to the injured list, Wacha was Alex Cora’s clear-cut ace.
At 30 years old, the right-hander was able to reach back and be the Wacha that earned National League Championship MVP honors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. But during the offseason following an impressive debut run in Boston, both Wacha and the Red Sox were neither linked nor agreed on an extension, leading to his signing with the San Diego Padres, just days before Opening Day.
And so far, not so good for Wacha.
The right-hander has recorded a 5.46 ERA through his first six outings with the Padres, allowing 19 earned runs through 31 1/3 innings pitched. Wacha has pitched two scoreless starts — both six innings — but has also let up four or more earned in three.
