TRACK RECORD: Houck's development has traveled a crooked line since being taken in the first round in 2017. He tried to overhaul his pitch mix in early 2018 with initially disastrous results at high Class A Salem but found considerable success down the stretch with a balanced repertoire. In 2019, he alternated dominant performances—often against righty-heavy lineups—with struggles as a starter in Double-A and did the same out of the bullpen at Triple-A. He went back to starting in the Arizona Fall League.

SCOUTING REPORT: Houck's combination of a 92-97 mph two-seamer and four-seamer with a sweeping slider from a low three-quarters arm slot creates nightmares for righties, but he's struggled to show similar command against lefties, who have hit .283/.383/.363 against him. On days where he flashes a solid changeup and locates his slider to both righties and lefties, Houck looks like a potential starter, but his difficulty in repeating a crossfire delivery with a lot of moving parts has convinced many that his future is in the bullpen.

THE FUTURE: Houck likely will open 2020 back at Triple-A, offering the Red Sox a spot-starting option or bullpen depth, with a potential future as a setup man. The Red Sox have resisted giving up on him as a starter, but his proximity to the big leagues suggests a decision about his role looms.