{"id":45729,"date":"2025-03-23T01:42:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-23T01:42:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=45729"},"modified":"2025-03-23T01:42:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-23T01:42:25","slug":"tanner-houck-had-awesome-response-when-alex-cora-named-him-red-soxs-no-2-starter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=45729","title":{"rendered":"Tanner Houck had awesome response when Alex Cora named him Red Sox’s No. 2 starter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Minnesota<\/p>\n

The Boston Red Sox have had three different Opening Day starters in each of the last three seasons. But with last season’s No. 1 starter, Tanner Houck, returning in 2025, it appeared as though the pattern might be coming to an end.<\/p>\n

Except it wasn’t. Instead of going with last season’s ace, manager Alex Cora has decided to give the ball to newcomer Garrett Crochet for Boston’s season opener March 27 against the Texas Rangers. Houck would fill the No. 2 slot, followed by Walker Buehler at No. 3.<\/p>\n

Plenty of major league starters in Houck’s position would have felt snubbed or disrespected by Cora’s decision \u2014 but not Houck.<\/p>\n

“Talked to Tanner. He was our best starter last year. He was an All-Star,” Cora said (via Christopher Smith of MassLive). “He just said, ‘Give me the ball whenever.'”<\/p>\n

Houck broke out as the Red Sox’s first-half ace in 2024, finishing the season with a 9-10 record and a 3.12 ERA and 154 strikeouts over 178 2\/3 innings en route to his first career MLB All-Star appearance. But Crochet was the big fish that Boston landed on the offseason trade market; considering the massive prospect haul they had to give up in order to get him from the Chicago White Sox, it was clear from the onset that the Red Sox had every intention of making him their No. 1 starter.<\/p>\n

Tanner Houck has awesome response for Alex Cora after being named Red Sox No. 2 starter<\/h2>\n
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