Tim Wakefield or Clay Buchholz: Who Should Start For the Red Sox?

Why must Tim Wakefield battle his way into the Red Sox rotation? Hasn't this loyal veteran earned his ownership of that fourth or fifth spot?

Does MLB.com's Ian Browne really have to tell us "the veteran knuckleballer's competitive fire is still strong"?

Is anybody else bothered by Jimmy Boyd's Locksmith Sports assertion that "at this stage in his career, Wakefield isn't going to be given the nod over Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett or [John] Lackey"?

Beckett, Lackey, and Lester are unquestionably the Red Sox' top three, but neither the forever-fledgling Buchholz, nor the secretive Matsuzaka should be locked in at the back end.

Statistically, Wakefield is more consistent and more productive than both.

In an injury-shortened and admittedly dishonest 2009, Daisuke Matsuzaka posted a wholesome 5.76 ERA and 1.87 WHIP over 59.1 fruitless innings. Although the Japanese phenom won 18 games back in 2008, Matsuzaka did so in only 167.2 innings.

Translation: Matsuzaka needed plenty of bullpen help and run support to look so ace-like.

What about Buchholz?

The 2007 rookie sensation who pitched a no-hitter and buzzed the trade market with a dazzling 1.59 ERA hasn't come close to those numbers in the two years since. 

In 2008 Buchholz went 2-9 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP over an unexpectedly generous 76 innings. Last year the kid improved to 7-4 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.38 WHIP.

No doubt Clay Buchholz is talented and flashes his All-Star caliber stuff now and again, but does he really deserve a spot over Wakefield?

In 2009 Tim Wakefield went 11-5 with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. His career numbers fluctuate little: a 4.33 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. With a winning career record, this 2009 All Star is as consistent as they come.

Despite back surgery late last year, Wakefield remains far more durable than Matsuzaka and drastically more experienced than Buchholz.

According to ESPNBoston.com, Wakefield himself feels he doesn't "need to prove" himself. If the baseball writers paid attention, that may be true.

Wakefield deserves a starting role if only for his perennial hometown-discount loyalty. But with Theo Epstein pulling the strings, don't rely on even Wakefield's sabermetric value to save him this year. If the Red Sox' front office wants to trade for a big bat in July, they'll need Buchholz notching wins full-time in April.

As good as the forgotten Wakefield truly is, nobody's scouting him for the future of his franchise. Not even the Red Sox.