Good turn for pitcher

The symbolism of that otherwise innocuous decision was striking. Is the 25-year-old righthander with the Red Sox for good, or will his career include another stint in Triple A?

General manager Theo Epstein left little doubt, saying Buchholz showed the type of progression the organization expected after a rocky 2008 season.

“Unlike last year, we can sit here and pencil him into our rotation for next year,’’ Epstein said. “It’s a good feeling.’’

Epstein and the Sox have an early start on preparing for the future, the season having come to an abrupt end Sunday in the Division Series at the hands of the Angels. Buchholz gave up two runs over five innings in Game 3, one of the few positive aspects on an otherwise bleak day.

With the Red Sox facing elimination, Buchholz handed a 5-1 lead to the bullpen in the sixth inning. That effort, combined with his going 7-4 with a 4.21 ERA over 16 starts, had Epstein listing Buchholz in the same group as Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

“That’s what everybody wants,’’ Buchholz said. “That’s what you dream about when you grow up as a kid. You want to be part of a big league rotation. You can’t say anything else about it. It’s really a good feeling.’’

But Buchholz is not taking Epstein’s October assessment for granted. He will return to Texas later this week, take some time off, and then start preparing his body for the rigors of a full season in the majors.

“It’s going to feel good going into spring training knowing I actually have a legitimate shot to be on this team next year instead of hoping and wanting,’’ he said. “If I go out and do my work in the offseason and get ready like I should, the job is there for me. But I’ll never assume again. That’s what I did before. I’ll be ready for the job.’’

As the Sox deal with aging stars such as David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek and the impending free agency of Jason Bay, the value of a young, talented, and economical starter such as Buchholz is magnified.

“It helps make our organization look a lot healthier,’’ said manager Terry Francona. “When you can take young pitchers and kind of plug them into your future, it makes the glass look a lot fuller. It’s exciting.

“When you have pitching and young pitching, and they’re healthy and they’re strong, they’re going to get better. They’re going to learn. The game is going to slow down. All the hiccups that they go through, those things, they learn how to handle them.’’

For Epstein, Buchholz’s success this season is a lesson in the virtues of being patient with young players.

Buchholz had a 1.59 ERA in four starts with the Red Sox in 2007, including a no-hitter against Baltimore. But 2008 was a season of regression that saw him get demoted twice, the second time to Double A Portland to end the season.

“There are a lot of ups and downs. There’s no such thing as a truly linear development,’’ Epstein said. “Guys who step right in like [Jonathan] Papelbon a few years ago, that’s more the exception than the rule with young pitchers. It’s important as an organization not to give up on young pitchers when they’re down if they have the talent, ultimately, to succeed at the big league level.

“A lot of people stepped up on a personal level to help impact Buch positively. Ultimately, as always happens at the end of someone’s development, he stepped up himself and decided he wanted to take responsibility for being the type of pitcher that he could be.’’

Sunday’s start, even if only five innings, was the latest step. In Buchholz’s mind, it was an important one.

“That was good,’’ he said. “It was a game that I finally got to pitch in. I’ve been a part of this club for parts of three years now and I hadn’t been able to make a postseason appearance. It was fun for me. Not the outcome, but the process.’’

Kevin Youkilis, who did some packing himself yesterday, said he believes Buchholz will be in Boston when next season starts.

“As he matures, he can only get better,’’ Youkilis said. “That process hopefully will make him an elite pitcher someday. He definitely pitched well. Hopefully he can evolve into something great for us.’’

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com.