Maybe not the national story that Who shot J.R was back in the day, but I’m curious as to where Wacha will end up and if he’ll get the 2-year deal he wants.
Every offseason there are a handful of players that don’t sign contracts until spring training starts. Many are question marks themselves, others ask too much, like Wacha. The 31-year-old, righty starter is coming off his best season since 2018.
He was 11-2 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.15 WHIP for the lowly Boston Red Sox. However, he only strung together 127.1 innings in 23 starts-not exactly top of the rotation innings.
He hasn’t put together solid consecutive seasons since 2017-18, so I guess that’s why teams are balking at the “two-year minimum.” Maybe he thought his 2022 season was good enough for two years in 2023?
I’m sure that a few starting pitchers will suffer arm injuries during spring training, because they always do. Wacha will suddenly appear more attractive and his demand should increase. There are already a few teams on shaky ground with their starting pitching, but I’m not sure if teams building for the future need a 31-year old trying to re-establish himself as a legit innings-eater.
As readers of the old blog will recall, I championed Wacha Wacha’s career even when he was pitching for STL.
While Johnny Cueto was coming off 5 (mostly) disappointing seasons in San Francisco, he didn’t sign a minor league contract with the White Sox until April 8. He was five years older than Wacha too. Coincidentally, Cueto posted a 3.35 ERA in 158.1 innings for the Sox in 2022.
Who will blink first, Wacha or a team needing help?
I'd rather be sitting in a ballpark. 
One response to “Where will Michael Wacha pitch in 2023?”
It will be a team needing help but it will be a one year contract with a buyout for year two, or if you prefer, a 2 year contract with the buyout for year two. I can think of at least one team within 40 miles that needs a starter and is NOT building for the future but has a stubborn old jerk owner who wants to win another World Series but won’t take out his wallet in order to do so. Probably because he doesn’t really believe that his current team is capable of winning a WS and I agree with him since they will have rookies at 2 major positions and a catcher who can’t catch and too many DHs.
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