RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target ~200
CURRENT ADP: 231
ANALYSIS: The question surrounding Clay Buchholz every year is whether this will be the year that he finally stays healthy and produces at an elite level.
Clay's 2010 and 2013 campaigns showed owners that he can be a scary pitcher worth owning and reaping the benefits. But on the other hand his 2008 and 2014 campaigns showed that his inconsistency can creep up at any time.
Buchholz is now 31 and he is still trying to prove to himself, the Red Sox, and fantasy owners that he is not a lost cause. His high BB/9 days seem to be behind him as he got that rate down to 1.85 in 2015. He also has taken a huge step forward by raising his K/9 and lowering his ERA and FIP.
His .250 BAA and his 1.21 WHIP have not gotten enough attention because his BABIP is still not improving at the same rate his ERA and FIP have been. He stopped heavily relying on his four-seam fastball (17%) and instead threw more two-seam fastballs (27%) with great success. He has all but given up the slider and focuses more on his cutter and changeup to compensate.
Some owners are not going to believe that he can ever be a true asset to their team but with a lineup that should produce a ton of run support Buchholz could have another breakout year and prove his critics wrong.
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