Orioles Slugger Reportedly Available; Red Sox Would Be Rational Trade Partners

The Boston Red Sox have a chance to improve their lineup via a rare inter-division trade, but it may come at the cost of an already thin pitching staff. Although one of Boston’s biggest weaknesses is pitching, trading away a few arms for a star outfielder, that was recently speculated to be available, shouldn’t be ruled out.

“The Orioles have some serious problems.” ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote Tuesday. “Beyond its infield glut, Baltimore has too many outfielders, too. And with Anthony Santander set to make around $12 million in his final arbitration season, he could move for young pitching and the Orioles could settle on an Austin Hays-Cedric Mullins-Colton Cowser-or-Heston Kjerstad outfield”

Santander hit .257 with 42 extra-base hits including 28 home runs, 95 RBIs and a .797 OPS in 153 games last season. Defensively, he’s quite league average and would likely have to stick in left field, shifting Masataka Yoshida to a designated hitter role.

The Red Sox have enough assets in the farm system to make a legitimate offer to Baltimore. They could explore a trade that would send either Tanner Houck or Garrett Whitlock to the O’s, or dip into the Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter tier of players — possibly attaching them to a higher-end position player prospect.

It would be malpractice to give up Luis Perales or Wikelman Gonzalez given the recent history of the Red Sox’s pitching development system and Shane Drohan is ineligible to be moved after Boston elected not to put him on the 40-man roster prior to the Rule 5 Draft.

Santander has just one year left on his deal, this could prove to be the best-case scenario for the Red Sox. The 29-year-old will not cost a bevy of talent given his lack of time under team control.

Boston then can elect to either extend him, trade him at the deadline or move on after 2024.