NEW YORK -- Before acquiring Drew Pomeranz, the Red Sox had planned on giving the struggling Clay Buchholz a third chance in the starting rotation.
And now?
Buchholz will stay in the bullpen unless another opportunity somehow arises. The righty also realizes his time with the Red Sox could soon come to an end with the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline looming.
"The way I've always looked at it is this team is run as a business," said Buchholz. "They're going to do everything they can if it's going to make them better, and if that involves moving me somewhere, that's what it is. I don't have any control over that."
The Red Sox don't have much room for Buchholz with their current roster construction, as the club will need to open up three spots in the coming days.
Pomeranz will be added to the roster on Sunday. Reliever Junichi Tazawa could be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday. Joe Kelly, who has pitched well in the Minors as a reliever, will soon rejoin the Red Sox to help in the mid to late innings.
Also, in a pitching-thin market, another team might be able to use a starter like Buchholz.
Though it wouldn't be easy for Buchholz to leave the only professional franchise he's known, he realizes it is situation he brought upon himself by not pitching better. As a starter this season, Buchholz is 2-8 with a 6.31 ERA.
"This is the only place I've ever been. We've got a really good team this year. That would be probably one of the hardest parts about it," said Buchholz. "It is what it is. It's part of the game. It's not very often in this day and age a guy stays with the same team his whole career. If that's their decision or their outlook on it, then that's what it is. That's part of the business."
Buchholz started the season as Boston's No. 2 starter and is now no higher than sixth on the depth chart. It was in large part due to his under-performance that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had to trade top prospect Anderson Espinoza in exchange for Pomeranz.
"This organization has been that way since I got here," said Buchholz. "If there's somebody who's not doing their job well, then they're going to go find somebody who will and can. That's the position I've put myself in and I've got to do what I've got to do. I think of myself as a starting pitcher, and that's a crowded bunch right now."
In the meantime, Buchholz will try to stay focused as best he can, knowing that his situation will likely be decided at some point within the next two weeks.
"I have to do what I can here to be prepared and if something else happens, that's what it's going to be," Buchholz said. "There's nothing I can do about it. That's part of the game for me without having a no-trade clause. That's part of the game."