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Rotation overstock bumps Buchholz out of Boston

Clay Buchholz might profit from a move to the National League now that he's been traded to the Phillies. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The Phillies wisely continue to stick with short-term commitments in filling out their 2017 roster, picking up right-hander Clay Buchholz from the Red Sox in exchange for cab fare and a fringe prospect well outside of their organizational top-10. For Boston, this is mostly about clearing money, as well as closing the book on one of their most talented and frustrating pitchers of the last 15 years.

I suppose the trade of Buchholz will reduce the incidence of baseball-related anxiety in New England by 30 percent, as the gap between his ability and his performance could be utterly maddening. One of the most athletic pitchers in baseball, Buchholz can show an above-average to plus cutter and has long had a plus or better changeup, but his command wavers from adequate to awful, especially of his fastball, which was the pitch behind 70 percent of the homers he gave up in 2016.