Dustin Richardson

2013

There was no outlook written for Dustin Richardson.

2011

Richardson came onto the radar after transitioning from starter to reliever in 2009 and earned himself a few stints at the major-league level the last two seasons. Command, command, command. That's the issue with Richardson, who walks too many batters at this point to be anything more than a serviceable middle reliever. For Boston, he struck out 12 and walked 14 in 13 relief innings in 2010. He was traded to the Marlins for Andrew Miller in the offseason. As a lefty with a live arm, Richardson could find himself in the middle of Florida's bullpen in 2011.

2010

An offseason switch from starter to reliever appears to have elevated Richardson's status within the Red Sox's organization. The 6-6 lefty struck out 97 batters in 74 innings between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, before getting a one-week cameo in Boston in late September. He mostly uses his four-seam and two-seam fastball, but mixes in a curve as well. With two relievers (Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito) moving on from Boston, Richardson could be in a line for an open bullpen spot, though he really needs to improve his control if the Red Sox are to think seriously about him in 2010.

2008

Richardson, 23, spent most of last season at Low-A Greenville, striking out nearly a batter per inning. The tall lefty uses his height and goes after hitters with his fastball (low 90s). He's a good athlete, having played basketball and was a finalist on ESPN's "Knight School," trying out for Bobby Knight's Texas Tech team. In January, Richardson will take part in Boston's Rookie Career Development Program, a gathering of the organization's upper-level prospects, who learn about making a successful adjustment to the major leagues. He'll finish 2008 at Double-A Portland.