The Blue Jays, Yankees and Red Sox have strong interest in free agent outfielder Anthony Santander, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (X link). The Jays and Yankees have been connected to Santander in previous rumors.
The fit is logical as all three clubs just came up short in their pursuit of Juan Soto. This winter’s free agent outfield market featured Soto at the top, clearly on a tier by himself, well above the rest. The level below featured a cluster of guys including Santander, Teoscar Hernández, Jurickson Profar, Tyler O’Neill, Michael Conforto and others. O’Neill and Conforto are also off the board now, in addition to Soto, so it’s natural that these clubs would pivot to the guys still available.
Santander, 30, doesn’t have Soto’s youth or plate discipline but there’s no doubting the power. He has hit at least 28 home runs in each of the past three seasons, including 44 in the most recent campaign, leading to 105 overall for the 2022-24 seasons. His 8.5% walk rate in that time was right around league average, with his 20.5% strikeout rate slightly better than par. His .244/.317/.478 batting line for that stretch led to a 124 wRC+, indicating he was 24% better than league average.
Given that healthy production, it’s unsurprising that he is generating plenty of interest. What also works in his favor is that he is a switch-hitter without strong platoon splits. As a righty against lefties, he hit .239/.309/.513 in 2024 for a 132 wRC+. For the inverse split, he hit .225/.306/.488 for a 123 wRC+. For his career, he has a 111 wRC+ against lefties and 116 against righties.
That balanced attack means he should be able to fit into the plans of any club with an outfield need, or perhaps an opening at designated hitter. His outfield defense has been subpar in his career, with grades of -3 Defensive Runs Saved and -13 Outs Above Average. He has gotten brief looks at first base recently, with 72 innings at that spot in 2023 and one more in 2024.
Despite the defensive concerns, Santander’s power bat is one of the best available. Perhaps some club would be willing to live with the subpar defense, or maybe try to slot Santander in at first base or designated hitter down the road. At the start of the winter, MLBTR predicted Santander could earn a guarantee of $80MM over four years.
For the Sox, they would likely be looking at Santander as an outfielder. Their corner infield and designated hitter mix is already crowded, with Rafael Devers at third, Triston Casas at first and Masataka Yoshida a primary option for designated hitter. There have been some rumors that the Sox would like to sign a third baseman and move Devers over to the other side of the diamond, which would likely require Casas or Yoshida to be moved.
In the outfield, the Sox have some good options but they could fit Santander into the mix. Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu project to be in two spots, but both are left-handed hitters with notable platoon splits. The lineup is already fairly left-leaning as Devers, Casas and Yoshida all hit from that side as well. The right-handed Rob Refsnyder can help out a bit but having Santander as an everyday option would help stabilize the whole group.
Ceddanne Rafaela could be involved in the outfield group as well but he’s a glove-first option who can also play the infield. Roman Anthony is one of the top prospects in the sport but he has not yet turned 21 years old and only has 35 games of Triple-A experience thus far. He is also a left-handed hitter, so he’ll exacerbate the club’s slant in that direction even if he earns his way into the big league plans.
The Sox have been looking to be aggressive this winter with the rotation being a primary focus but adding Santander or another big bat to the lineup would obviously help as well. They are reportedly even willing to pay the luxury tax under the right circumstances. RosterResource currently projects the club’s tax number at $181MM, which is $60MM below next year’s base threshold of $241MM. That should give them enough wiggle room to sign Santander or another outfielder as well as a notable starting pitcher, if they so choose. The Sox have been connected to various rotation options, including Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.
The Jays and Yankees have been connected to just about every big-name free agent, though both clubs have been focused on Soto until now. The coming days should see them pivot and gauge the market on guys like Fried, Burnes, Santander, Hernández, Alex Bregman and others, as those guys have each been connected to both the Yankees and Jays in rumors this offseason.
The loss of Soto obviously leaves a huge hole in the Yankee outfield, so they will surely be considering various options to bolster the group alongside Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Jasson Domínguez. That could include the aforementioned free agents but the Yanks have reportedly contacted the Cubs about a Cody Bellinger trade.
The Jays have George Springer and Daulton Varsho as their two most established outfielders, though Varsho is recovering from shoulder surgery and might not be ready for Opening Day. They have Nathan Lukes, Joey Loperfido, Jonatan Clase and other guys on the roster but those guys are all fairly limited in terms of their major league experience.
Santander rejected a qualifying offer from the Orioles at season’s end, so that club will receive draft pick compensation if he ultimately signs elsewhere. That feels fairly inevitable now that they have an agreement with O’Neill, effectively replacing Santander in the club’s outfield mix. If Santander signs a contract worth more than $50MM, the O’s will get a pick after the first round of the upcoming draft. The signing club will also be subject to penalties, depending on whether they are revenue sharing recipients or paid the competitive balance tax in 2024.
Will Hal be shut out?
Beer – Don’t count out the Jays, they need Santander more than any team in the division.
This is the epitome of “the sky is blue” news, Santander and Teo are the only two RHB that would be a perfect match for the Red Sox. Hopefully they stay far away from Profar.
Agree Fever. Regardless of trades, they need a true righty bopper. I’d prefer Hernandez who I think will be less years.
dewey – I prefer him as well, but I would be shocked if he doesn’t stay with the Dodgers.
The Mets get Soto, the Red Sox get Santander. Figures…
He’s a decent enough power hitter, but they don’t exactly have a shortage of outfield/DH types. Plus Devers and Casas on the infield with no place to move.
I won’t pan this deal if it happens, but first and foremost they need ace pitching.
Tff – In 218 fewer PA’s Abreu had a higher WAR than Santander.
Management being so fixated on a RHB makes no sense to me.
Abreu is a much better defensive player. I assume Santander would replace Yoshida, as anything else would be a downgrade.
I’d love a RHB as well, but think they are better off getting prospects to the majors and addressing the pitching this winter.
Tff – The whole point of getting rid of Yoshida is to free up DH for Casas or Devers. Zero chance Santander or Teo become a full-time DH.
Wouldn’t Santander simply replace O’Neil in LF? ANYONE can play LF in Fenway.
Son – No, Tyler is a platoon player … only 90 games started in the outfield. He can’t hit RHP and he’s not good defensively.
Anthony needs to play, and Rafaela should be in CF rather than SS. No space for a full time player in the OF.
But…..Tyler’s gone! There’s a place for Santander already. No need to look for one. Teoscar is a better choice, but the Sox could easily get outbid by someone. BreSLOW better get moving!
tff – I am 1,000% certain neither Teo nor Santander will be signing a minimum 3-year $60M contract to DH full-time.
This year Teo started 154 games in the outfield, Santander 130 games. With the season they just had and the interest they are receiving now, they have no reason to downgrade their careers at the age of 30-32. And what team in their right mind is gonna invest $20M+ annually for 3-4 years to have the guy be a fulltime DH?
And if Yoshida goes, it will most certainly be Devers or Casas moving to DH.
Looks like you’re gonna be disappointed as the offseason progresses.
Unless I’m missing something, they have at least four outfielders more valuable than Santander, all better defensively. And of course Hernandez is even weaker defensively.
Doesn’t make sense to me to sit or DH a better defensive player so you can put a weaker one in Fenway’s tough RF. You aren’t going to sign a guy to an $80M contract just for the opportunity to make your team worse!
I’m certainly not going to be disappointed if they pass on these guys, but there is no substitute for elite pitching. And at this point I’m not even going to he “disappointed” if they fail to land any top flight starters. “Disgusted”, perhaps. Even “disinterested”. But “disappointed” implies an expectation that I can’t muster at this point.
Fever Pitch Guy – That may be true but isn’t that an indictment to the metric of WAR? Abreu was terrible at producing runs and his WAR doesn’t reflect it? Why not? Maybe the assumptions in the WAR formula are all screwed up? I’ve been saying that for years.
Just remember, the 9 hitter for Boston produced more runs that the guy who hit 2nd in the order 66% of his at bats and WAR suggests he’s much better than he really was since we all no is production was bad considering his opportunities. To me, that’s a problem.
Maybe compare Santander and Abreu by real stats OR pick a less offensive yet clearly inaccurate one like OPS+ where Santander put up a 134 and Abreu put up a 114.
TFF17 – I have no dog in this debate but Santander made less errors in 2024 and had a .993 fielding percentage to the wrongfully awarded GG winner Abreu who had 7 errors and a .971 fielding percentage.
In my opinion, it’s silly to get an OF and until Anthony comes up Abreu can hold on to RF but he’s a platoon hitter and a league average or below fielder despite the GG and the horrendous metrics used to judge outfielders.
To add perspective, O’Neill who also has a GG had 7 errors in 2024 and an atrocious .957 fielding percentage. Yoshida didn’t play much but had 3 errors and a .977 fielding percentage. These three were actually the bottom of the barrel in outfield defense because Duran made 6 errors and had a .984 fielding percentage (Santander’s was higher) and Rafaela had 3 errors and a .984 fielding percentage like Duran.
Based on facts not simulated estimates Santander played better defense that Boston’s top 5 outfielders with Duran and Rafaela closest to Santander’s .993 with .984. For fun, I went back to 2023 to see if Santander just had a good year in 2024 but he did even better in 2023 with .995.
So maybe folks should slow the roll on bashing Santander’s defense, especially when using a metric that allows Abreu to win a GG with a below league average fielding percentage.
Rafaela had 75 RBI in 571 PA or 13.1 RBI per 100 PA. Abreu had 58 RBI in 447 PA, or 13.0 RBI per 100 PA. You’ve hammered on this “run production” piece a ton, but it just doesn’t hold water. The biggest reason why Rafaela had more RBI is that he had more playing time. We know that Abreu is a platoon player, but he produces when he plays.
Moreover, the #2 spot isn’t especially great for RBI. The league saw 3010 R and 2191 RBI from the leadoff spot, 2837 R and 2496 RBI from #2, 2638 R and 2674 RBI from #3, with 2384 R and 2753 RBI from #4. The first two spots in the lineup are better for collecting R than RBI. Focusing again on the #2 spot, on average it sees 11.4 RBI per 100 PA. Abreu of course did significantly better than this.
You like to focus on Abreu and Rafaela, and the perceived injustice of batting Rafaela #9 vs. batting Abreu #2. Yet Abreu’s production at #2 was above average for the slot, just as Rafaela’s production at #9 was above average for the slot. Maybe Cora put each of them in the position to maximize their talents? Which is why Rafaela had so many great moments last year, despite an overall weak batting line?
More importantly, there are many ways to contribute to run scoring. Driving in the run is only a piece of it. For that matter, scoring a run is only a piece. The key role of the #2 hitter is to advance the leadoff hitter into position so that the #3 hitter can score them. If the #2 hitter is hogging the RBI, then he belongs #6 or lower in the lineup.
The WAR calculation is based on context-independent stats. If a player hits a double, they don’t ask, “What was the game situation when he hit that double?” They don’t ask whether it scored a runner from first base or whether it was a two-out double that did less to impact the game.
If you want to look at the degree to which a player “rises to the moment”, the Run Expectancy (RE) stats compare the run expectancy of the situation before and after the AB, and estimate how much that situation changed. The Win Probability Added stat does the same for the winning percentage.
Abreu is more or less a league-average hitter by these measures. His RE wins are a paltry +0.06 and his WPA is a slightly below average -0.30. His production was slightly less likely to impact the decision than his context-independent stats would suggest. On the other hand, his .336 wOBA and +8.5 Offensive Runs are only slightly above average. It isn’t like the one is outstanding and the other is terrible. The one is slightly above average while the other is almost exactly average.
Rafaela was very clearly below average. His -1.12 RE wins tied Valdez for the most negative offensive impact on the team. His -1.47 WPA was hands-down the most negative win impact. Rafaela wasn’t a “clutch” player either. Those numbers are almost exactly what his context-independent =13.0 offensive production suggested. Rafaela was decently good at collecting R and RBI, at least for a #9 hitter, but he was very bad at contributing to run scoring other ways.
In conclusion…. Abreu is basically an average hitter, slightly better in some ways and slightly weaker in other ways. He really shouldn’t be batting #2 (the #6 spot is a better fit), but he did a credible job of that last year. Rafaela collected a surprising number of R and RBI, mostly because his teammates were good at setting him up. There is no evidence in the numbers that he did any better at “rising to the moment” than his overall averages would indicate. He isn’t the worst offensive regular in the majors (Verdugo was even worse last year!) but he is bottom ten. Hopefully his plate discipline will improve with maturity, as that is what has been holding him back.
Sorry for the long response, but you’ve been hammering this comparison for a while now, and it doesn’t hold water if you look closely.
Note that I didn’t mention WAR above. WAR incorporates defense as well as offense. Rafaela was (perhaps unjustly) hammered by the defensive metrics last year, as he was learning SS on the job in May and June. Even once he settled down there, surprisingly well, he remained a more valuable defensive CF than at SS. His offense might not have been helped by bouncing back and forth between the two positions, but his defense CLEARLY didn’t benefit. As a full time CF he should rate much better. Abreu isn’t quite the defensive OF that Rafaela is, but he’s pretty good in his own right. Both of them are a vast improvement defensively over the lead-footed Santander and Hernandez.
Some people take a very narrow view of value, thinking only run production counts. Hernandez is certainly good at that. I tend to take a broader view, looking at other aspects of the game as well. And Abreu catches up when you do that. He tends to be underrated because he is a “balanced” player, with both offensive and defensive strengths, rather than somebody who stands out at one or the other.
You simply cannot judge outfield defense by fielding percentage. The scoring rules make it essentially impossible to give an outfielder an error unless he actually touches the ball. So an outfielder who jogs slowly towards the ball or breaks the wrong direction gets very few errors, while another fielder who is pushing himself full-tilt will end up with an error on a ball that he *almost* caught if he doesn’t actually make the catch.
The defensive difference between the best (full time) outfielders and the worst outfielder in the majors is around 30-40 runs. The difference in errors between the best and the worst is less than 5 runs, and doesn’t correlate well to overall defensive value.
Error rates and fielding percentage have never been good metrics of defensive value, and were surpassed by other metrics 40 years ago. At this point the Statcast data (which measures the actual ball vector and works from that) is the best publicly available system.
O’Neill was disappointing defensively last year. In the past he has been a good defender, but last year he was pretty average.
tff – For a much needed change of subject, did you see Sean’s latest article? He’s convinced Henry’s pursuit of Soto was all for show because Henry knew Cohen and others would continue to go beyond his offer. Sean also believes the Sox won’t go beyond the usual $225M team payroll for 2025.
I don’t believe he’s right or wrong, but I certainly believe it’s possible he’s right.
I lived in NYC for a while when the WIlpon’s were the owners of the Mets. They had P.R. people employed (back in the infancy days of sports “spin”) that simply went around saying they were “in” on every big name free agent, most famously you may remember with Alex Rodriquez.. None of the agents or players will correct them because it helps build buzz and fatten their wallets. I watched this unfold off-season after off-season.
I can say with 100% certainty that this is what John Henry is doing. The underbid, thats just close enough to sound right to fans, but never really in the ball park, to Soto is textbook.
Didn’t see that, Fever, but it wouldn’t shock me. I’ve said all along that I don’t care what they say. I don’t care who they are “interested” in. I care who they sign.
Definitely makes sense for the Red Sox to make sure that Soto doesn’t go cheaply. Heck, that makes more sense than actually signing him would.
But (apologies for bringing it back) the Red Sox need pitching. They need to SIGN pitching not “show interest” in pitching. Does them no good to drive up the price for the Yankees if they don’t sign an elite pitcher or two.
Either that happens or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t happen, fans will eventually stop paying attention to what management says. I suspect many fans have already stopped.
tff – Considering Cora just said “Devers was fantastic at third base this year” I wholeheartedly agree nobody is taking seriously anything they say.
I still think they will sign at least one SP, but will likely do what they usually do and wait for whomever is left. I think there’s more chance of an overpay on Crochet.
Sad – Great post! January 15 is the deadline for season ticket renewals, let’s see how it plays out.
If Sox are going to spend on offense, why isn’t Alonso a perfect fit? Every day right power DH
Sad – Because the Sox currently have three guys who are more suited for DH than the positions they play. The last thing they need is yet another DH.
FPG – my unpopular take on DH is this: Devers isnt moving there in 2025, Yoshida simply isnt good enough, and Casas is simply too young to just give up on him playing a position.
If Alonso falls back to a three or four year deal (money aside) he perfect because in the third or fourth year you can start to transition one of your three guys there
Sad Sox, I agree that Alonso could make sense on a 3-4 year deal, but I doubt he will get less than 5.
I also don’t believe a word of the “Devers is our 3B” PR hype. At least not unless you tag that with “for now”. The team is actively exploring 3B options including Bregman, Adames, and Arenado. They aren’t looking at these guys to play 2B or SS, they are looking at these guys to play 3B. If/when they find a deal that they like, then they become your new 3B and Devers moves over to 1B/DH.
The Mariners told THEIR press that the Red Sox offered Casas for Woo. That also doesn’t happen unless Devers is moving off 3B. Sagacity has misgivings about how Devers would adjust to 1B, but that doesn’t mean the Red Sox aren’t considering it.
If the Red Sox ever decide to go big again, they should target Vlad. Vlad isn’t a very good 1B, but *man* can he hit. And his slashing RHH power bat would fit in with the Red Sox style. Figure out whether Vlad or Devers is worse at 1B, and move the loser to DH. Though of course that only happens if Casas is traded… Many moving parts, but you can see from the leaks what the team is considering.
My preference for 2025 would be to use Yoshida and Refsnyder as a semi-platoon DH/PH setup. Neither is so horrible that you would be forced to pinch-hit for them, but you could start them based on the SP they will be facing, and use the other off the bench to pinch-hit for the weaker guys in the lineup.
Sad – My guess is they will try Devers at first base in ST, during practice, and possibly during the regular season if Casas misses some games or gets traded. Devers health will also be a factor.
Yoshida is a very good hitter when healthy, we have no idea if he will be.
I just don’t see the Sox giving Polar Bear the contract he is seeking.
’17 – I understand the very compelling argument that you all have made about moving Devers off 3B. WHat matters to me is Devers has already said, through his agent, that he is a 3B.
So, what WE are really suggesting is, take the one guy who can carry the team offensively (as he did in for large portions of last season, with no lineup protection and with two injured shoulders) and make him more miserable than he must already be!?!?!?! What good does that do? If you think he cant play third, why would he be able to play first?
More realistically, lets have a defensively competent SS (whether its Story or not) protect is left, and a full season of a real first baseman playing first base, who can hopefully, make the occasional scoop. This idea that any player can play any position is ludicrous, and Cora and Management continue to make it exponentially worse, by playing 7 different players at 1B, eleven at 2B and six at SS.
A championship-ready team can fret over the throwing errors of an immobile third baseman. This team needs a HUGE infusion of TALENT. Devrs playing 130 games at third base isnt what prevented the Sox from making the playoffs last year, and it isnt what is going to prevent them from making the payoffs this year, unless he also takes the mound every fifth day.
To a point I agree with you, Sox. Devers may be the worst defensive regular 3B in the majors, but he is still within the range of “defensive regular” rather than an outlier. His defensive play doesn’t demand that he be moved. Not yet at least.
If you look at the overall defensive performance by position last year, the Red Sox are bottom five in the majors at: C, 2B, and SS. They were NOT in the bottom five at 3B, despite Romy Gonzalez’ best attempts. And they were top five at exactly one position – RF.
I’m hopeful that Story/Mayer improve the SS situation. I’m hopeful that Campbell or Grissom improves the 2B situation. (Valdez is horrible defensively.) i don’t see an answer at C, as Wong is barely passable for a #2 catcher and Teel isn’t yet up to speed. (I had quietly hoped for Carson Kelly, but he is signing elsewhere.) Third base isnkt the weakest position defensively, but it is one of the weakest positions that they don’t already have a plan to address.
Moreover, Devers’ value is clearly in his bat, and he managed to injure BOTH shoulders last year. His defensive play was a factor in at least one of those injuries, and unsurprisingly it sapped his power. Moving Devers off 3B soon – if not this year – is likely to be necessary to preserve his health and his bat. He is awkward in the field, and there are good reasons why big guys don’t go diving for ground balls! Doesn’t really matter whether that is fat or muscle, the mass lands on the joints with the same force.
If I actually believed that Devers was refusing to play at whatever position makes the team strongest, I would want him off the team YESTERDAY. That public statement by his agent – who may or may not have been speaking for Devers – was incredibly stupid. There is no question that Devers will move off 3B within a few years, the only question is whether it is now, next year, or 2027. It isn’t yet an urgent necessity, but it is likely to become so if not addressed.
If management were to come to Devers quietly and say, “We’ve got a deal for Bregman, would you be willing to move to 1B to accommodate him?” Only the most selfish players would object. And I don’t believe Devers is that selfish.
Yeah, he’s a 3B. He’s a 3B until he is a 1B or a DH. That’s how MLB works, at least if you are trying to win games.
Yes, we are in 95% agreement. He will move but ’25 probably isnt the year. And yes, if there were quiet conversations, i would want my best player to see whats best for the team and agree.
But again, why would Front Office be looking at Cora’s buddy Bregman when you have soooooooo many other glaring holes to fill?
They need to add talent. Bregman is that, for sure, and at a position that is easier to fit than Soto or Hernandez.
Of course they most need to add pitching.
I think so. I think Hal is weird with the purse strings. I think the Yankees are not built or run to win and he will balk on free agency again.
I realize Judge got MVP and they got to the World Series, but if felt like it might as well have been a 100 loss season in 2024.
The upside to this is that resigning Soto would be a break even impact on 2025’s roster vs 2024, so they may have dodged a $50M per season bullet and now have a chance to spread around the $70+ million that came off the books between Soto, Rizzo, Holmes, etc. and could look to spread all that around in a way that fixed line up holes with lower profile but very good players.
TTO, you’re right about filling multiple holes, but I just don’t trust Cashman to do it correctly. Hopefully he can and we can come out okay for the season, but losing Soto is going to hurt…. Bad.
Clip – Best advice I can give, it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all …..
…. from what I’ve heard, as I married my high school sweetheart ;o)
I have this strange feeling the Yankees will somehow manage to do nothing in free agency and try to make the big splashes via blockbuster trades that ultimately equal bad contract swaps hoping a change of scenery does the players some good.
Trill – When was the last time the Yankees didn’t sign at least two well known free agents? They will spend, they always do.
@TrillionaireTeamOperator
Honestly, the quality of FA this year is pretty low, which is why we’re seeing guys get big contracts.
York – We knew it would be, that’s why last year was so critical for signing free agents. I don’t think anyone will be getting deals this winter like Lugo or Shota.
@Fever Pitch Guy
So, you happy the Mets took on that Soto contract or do you still wish you had Soto?
And BTW, I screwed up that pick. I had Soto going back to the Yankees, thinking Hal wanted him back to drive the offense, after that WS appearance. I guess $50M was too much.
York – The escalating price made me even happier that he went to the Mets. There is no way the Red Sox would return to the top of the league in spending and stay there longterm, which means the team would be hamstrung for a long time with that contract even if Soto stays healthy and productive.
Moving him off the Yankees makes it even better, for obvious reasons.
You can make a case for trading first over paying top dollar for free agents!
Can’t wait to see how much he signs for with a team not named the Red Sox.
The only way the Sox can sign free agents is to misread the market and massively overpay early in the process, or Yoshida and Story.
Hopefully with Theo involved, such won’t happen.
I am staying positive for now. There are still several players who can have a major impact on the team, be it pitching, offense, or defense. I am going to have faith that they are going to be active and make some solid moves. It would be great if Theo’s presence could have an impact.
He really should lean into a switch to 1B.
After all, it’s not that hard!
1st base is a very important defensive position and is a bit more complicated and nuanced than it looks.
“Tell him Wash…”
“It’s extremely hard…”
A 3B who is out of shape and doesn’t get to line drives hit at his feet, has no balance, has no back hand and can’t catch hard line drive that bounce within 10 feet of him will not translate to a 1B.
At 1B you need the following things Devers doesn’t have:
1 – Baseball intelligence. He goes for balls to his left at 3B that are the SS’s and misplays them without getting an error. At 1B, there is nobody to cover first except the pitcher if he uses his horrendous judgment for balls to his right. Pitchers will need to be far more ready to sprint to 1B and risk injury from collisions due to Devers extremely inaccurate arm.
2 – Devers isn’t mobile. Sprinting to his left at 3B on slow high hop ground balls gives him range that isn’t real. On hard hit balls more than step away from him, he doesn’t touch the grounder whether it’s to his forehand or backhand. Immobility for a 1B is a much bigger problem than at 3B. Throws have far more difficult reads when coming across the infield than ground balls from the batter.
3 – 1B’s must be able to scoop. Devers can’t scoop line drives hit 10 or less feet in front of him, why would he be able to scoop throws that need to be scooped. You can try to say with practice he can and the last 8 years defeats that argument because he hasn’t improved as a fielder during all the hard work he’s put in allegedly. Some guys just can’t field and Devers is one of them.
4 – At 3B pop flies move toward the field just like they do for catchers. He hasn’t learned to be good at those at 3B and now he’s going to have to understand the spin from the other side of the diamond after not getting it on the 3B side of the diamond. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
5 – Devers is clumsy. He falls over on balls hit to his right so he doesn’t get an error because the play looks difficult. It’s not. Most average 3Bs make the back hand play without falling over. Bad balance is magnified at 1B. Another disaster waiting to happen.
6 – Devers isn’t great at turning double plays at 3B despite a runner not usually being in the way. At 1B, he’s going to have to throw around the runner and he’s already a scatter arm so picture lots of base runners getting hit or balls going deep into the outfield since he’s likely to throw it too hard and errantly like he does from 3B.
Those are just 6 of the many reasons Devers needs to have his fielding glove removed from Fenway and all ball parks forever. Suggesting he can pick up another position that is involved in 3 to 5 times as many total chances is hilarious. He couldn’t figure out 3B since he started playing it at age 14 which happens to be 14 years ago!!
A 1B doesn’t need much mobility… Other than that, agree on the skills required.
Rafaela is a glove first option only? I’m sure he’ll be much better in year two than he was as a rookie…
His career trajectory depends on how his plate discipline develops. If it basically doesn’t develop, then he is most definitely a glove first guy.
Even if he doesn’t make any improvements, I think he’s good enough for a bottom of the order bat. Hes very similar to JBJ, although I think he has a higher ceiling with his bat.
But yeah, he’s a glove first option for now.
okbud – The kids been in professional baseball and has batted in the main part of the line-up at every level until Cora. It’s a massive slap in the face from Cora and he didn’t handle it well. Yes, he’s an aggressive hitter. When you bat in the heart of the order your entire life you don’t know what it’s like to be a 9 hitter. Pitchers don’t have to throw strikes to a 9 hitter like a 1 or 2 hitter. This created a situation he wasn’t prepared for as a 23 year old rookie. He still out hit Abreu who did bat in the middle of the order and nearly matched Devers in productivity out of the 9 hole. That says volumes about this kids potential given a decent manager, support from the organization and a few better hitters batting near him in the order.
Also, Rafael was by far the best outfielder last year defensively. One game is all it takes to see the GG with the yips in RF and the speedster in center making all out dives for balls that make the highlight films daily. If we can convince the opponents to keep the line drives to right field in front of Abreu, he could win another GG with more than double the errors of the better outfielder in Boston.
Rafaela, has it on him to pull a Mookie or Duran, and over come the prejudice of Cora and the front office or he is destined to be the next player heading out of town on another bad trade and coming back to bite them in the future.
Saga – They don’t have to throw him strikes because he swings at pitches that aren’t strikes.
The idea that he should bat higher because he did it in the minors is just preposterous. Should Cora have let Bobby Dalbec be a starting pitcher because he did it in college?
mike – In the sense that he can play multiple positions, not that he’s an elite defender at any position.
despite what others say he is an elite defender especially in center
Sign Pete Alonso. Imagine him with that bandbox park?
That won’t help Pete, when he hits one out it’s usually out by plenty. The ballpark won’t fix his inability to lay off a slider low and away.
The Red Sox have more outfielders than Heinz has varieties to include Rob Refsynder whose option they just picked up. Why would they have an interest in Santander?
Right handed power hitter. Chances are they will move one of their lefty outfielders
Or even two (up to three of Yoshida has a taker) given Anthony if not opening day, will be up sooner rather than later
If they can find a taker for Yoshida that would be huge. Either by eating a major chunk of his contract or pairing him with a slightly desirable prospect. Ideally part of a bigger deal that will bring back some pitching. I like Yoshida, but there are better options for DH and he limits the team too much.
Just stop with the stupid “interested in” notes. Everybody has interest in everybody.
Being a Pirates fan, I feel like a dog at Thanksgiving. Waiting for the scraps to fall after everyone else has had their fill.
As an Orioles fan, it’s kind of fun to watch the Sox/Jays/Yanks give off the desperation stink this offseason.
Sox are eager to quell the fan dissent and get back into contention.
Yanks are eager to bounce back from Soto embarrassment.
Jays are just plain desperate despite everyone knowing it’s time to blow it up.
The O’s calmly signed O’Neill who – if healthy – will put up Santandar-like WAR for half the price. They need a Burnes replacement but I’m not sensing the desperation like the other teams.
If healthy. Unfortunately, O’Neill is dependable in that he will end up on the IL. It’s just a matter of when, how long and how many times
I figure if you get 120 games out of O’Neill it’s a win.
Rays are turtling around this off season. They have a sneaky great pitching staff. McLanahan / Baz / Bradley / Springs / Pepiot. They have Drew Rasmussen and Zach Littel in the bullpen, two starters that have both pitched good innings in the rotation. A good mix of short relief options too, high caliber strike out pitchers.
They are high on Junior Caminero at 3B. If Lowe and Lowe can stay healthy and Yandy Diaz continues to hit, they should score some runs. They have a pair of top 10 prospects in AA, both could potentially be inline for a late season call up if the Rays are in a position to make a push for the playoffs.
Don’t count the Rays out.
OMG I’ve been making fun of this team for the past two years but seriously STOP WITH THE INTEREST AND ACTUALLY SIGN SOMEONE! This is so damn frustrating!
I really want the Royals to sign this guy and then trade Kyle Isbel and Dairon Blanco
As an O’s fan… anyone, and I mean anyone, but the Royals. Lol.
You all have tortured us enough!
hey, you have Ryan O’Hearn who never had his power unlocked with the Royals because of a bad hitting coach. you do have my sympathies because you have to play the Yankees and the Blue Jays a lot more than the Royals do.
Red Sox should try and get Arozerena from the mariners. Much cheaper than Santander or Teoscar
Meh, he’s decent+, but only had a 5.6 bWAR over the 3 years prior to his walk year.
He makes sense for all three ALE teams. Familiarity helps. He’s not my preferred guy, but he’d be a welcome addition regardless.
Everyone is interested in these FA players. What I want to know is who has been in contact with his agent.
Hey Craig, stop dicking around with outfielders and get some front end starters already.
YAY!!! Red Sox ‘interested’. I can understand chasing Soto but they have a TON of OF and prospects coming. WHY go sign a guy that will be overpaid coming off a career year?
They should be focused on Burnes and getting another starter by trading from the bulk of prospects.
The Red Sox ownership went from being focused on winning to focused on BSing.
I think one of the biggest issues with the Red Sox ownership, beyond the arrogance of “But we are the Red Sox”, is the fact they haven’t accepted how quickly the cost of free agents has accelerated. There’s a chance we could see 3 straight offseasons of a $700 million free agent with Vladimir Guerrero jr next offseason. Whether they want to admit it or not you’re going to have to commit money and years to players who just aren’t worth it on the back half of the contract if they want to sign FA.
Goose – Something happened beyond the racism issue with Mookie and Price in 2019. Trying to win completely stopped and floating BS to the masses became the #1 pastime of the owners and front office.
This website is one of the many vehicles for spreading the BS. What percentage of these articles have truth to them? 5%? I don’t think it’s that high. What % of the MLB channel commentators are truthful? 5%? I don’t think so. The Red Sox bid $700 Million for 15 years? RIGHT like we should believe that tidbit from the clowns on the MLB channel. Yonder Alonzo has to be the worst analyst on the MLB channel since Harold Reynolds. Everything he says is wrong. Carlos Santana is equally bad. Greg Amsinger is the Conrad Dobler of the MLB channel always stirring controversy by suggesting lies and asking people to argue about them to raise the interest of the fans.
Until someone signs a contract, everything in public forums are lies until proven to be true. That’s the world we live in and it sucks.
So Goose ask yourself the following questions:
1 – If ownership says for the fifth straight year that they are going spend big money, do you believe them? I don’t
2 = Now that Bloom is gone and Breslow is GM will he be as big a bonehead as Bloom by signing another outfielder when we are fully loaded and then some with outfielders? Let’s hope not. Another Bloom is the last thing this fan base needs.
3 – Are the idiots like Speier paid extra to float BS to the public and sell it like it’s true? I think YES. Is Devers moving off 3B? NO He should have in 2017 and hasn’t since despite being the all time worst 3B in history. So do we really spend the money to have Bregman play 2B? Hahaha That lie was laughable. Heard it this morning. First, ownership isn’t signing an all-star quality player and certainly there is absolutely no reason Bregman would want to play for Cora since his cheating scheme turning Bregman into a hated player for years. Why is there a Bregman rumor?
Because, like you mentioned, BSing is the rage in Boston and ownership and the front office has built an elaborate BSing communication structure to create hearsay at a moments notice.
The decision by the Red Sox to take Betts to arbitration was the first wedge in that relationship. Very foolish (especially since they lost their case). They should instead have signed him to a 15 year deal at that time.
Bostonians think his last name is Santana
Every headline from here on out will read the Red Sox are interested
Starting to feel like post-1916 again,
I dug up an archived articles from 1924 with the headlines,”Red Sox are interested in” and “How long will Red Sox fans have to wait”
Whooo if they only knew.
Come on Henry, I need my rivalry, do something.
I think Boston is a great fit for him. Left field in Fenway is a good spot to hide a guy with limited range. That takes away half the problem with defense.
Santander is not a poor fielder.
Screw stats, watch some games. The man makes remarkable plays, has a strong / accurate arm, and throw’s to the right base…..which is ore than most ML OF’s do.
Hence why I only noted his range.
As an Oriole fan, it would be very sad to watch him play against the O’s 14 times a year
I like Duran, Rafaela, Abreu for opening day OF. Young, improving, cheap, controlled.
RH bats needed are Alonso and Bregman.
Key is to get rid of Masa’s contract so Raffy can DH.
Of course this is all after securing two SP (Burnes, Fried, Crochet, Castillo)
when you have a kid who’s shown he can play ss defensively leave him there. you can’t trust story at short, especially because if he is actually healthy he opts out.
duran, anthony, abreau in the outfield
move first baseman and infield prospects for pitching.
sign alonso
infield of alonso, story, rafaela and devers.
For the bat and health yes but O’Neill is a superior defender and I suspect Santander is going to be a LOT more expensive after coming off that career power year.
Join the nation of Temu versions of Soto. DHs start shaking the tank.
I think Tony Taters just got a raise due to “Soto FOMO”.
have a feeling the red sox will sell high on duran for rotation help
dasit – Why? Did you forget the parameters of ownership when it comes to money?
A new contract can’t be for more that $20 Million AAV.
What SP is paid under $20Million that would be more valuable than Duran? We aren’t getting Skenes for Duran. Most everyone else making under $20 Million a year is either highly controllable or not as valuable as Duran.
Duran needs to stay in Boston. If you’ve been watching the games, he’s by far the most consistent performer and he’s not a prima-donna like Devers. He’ll play LF, CF or anywhere else they ask him to!! Dump Devers before Duran. In the end, the team will be better off.
I’d rather have Teoscar. Hernandez would mash in Fenway Park.
Head-to-head its fairly close as Hernandez has 14 career Home Runs in Fenway and Santander has 10 but I’d still rather have Hernandez
Santander is pretty even on the splits so the switch hitting could push him a bit ahead for road games.
Santander is one of my favorite players in the sport.
Signing with any of those listed ALE teams would be a stain he will never remove. He should know from the past six years that all three of BOS, NYY, and TOR are classless trash full of ego-boosted, loser players cheered by entitled, inflated, jackazz fanbases in absurdly dumb stadiums.
Amen.
The blue jays are linked to…
Hey isn’t that Ohtani’s plane??
This would be kind of ironic if Santander and O’Neill swapped to the respective teams. Maybe Santander is a great fit for Boston.
30? Way too young for the Sox to have serious interest.
They ‘will be in on’ every top FA this off season but never quite get one. Then they will find the oldest non productive former all star who still breathes and sign them for next to nothing.
If not for Soto, I’d rather the Sox not splurge on an OF/DH for all the reasons mentioned above. Bregman and pitching or bust
If MLBTR has taught us anything this of season we all already know that the Red Sox are NOT interested in Anthony Santander, or anyone really. They just want people to think there interested in EVERYONE, but in reality, they AREN’T.
I’m so fed up with this
TIME OUT! Dear Boston Red Sox We’ve waited 6 years for this rebuild and while We, Redsox Nation appreciate the Soto effort we ONLY WANT 2 THINGS FREID AND BURNS, BURNS AND FREID THATS IT! NO TRADING CASAS FOR ANYONE, ABREU EITHER, NEED TO TRADE FINE…YOSHIDA, GONZALES, REFSNYDER, HAMILTON, VALDEZ, OR ANY PROSPECT BELOW THE TOP 6! BUELLER IS GOOD, EOVOLDI FINE, MEANEA OK, FORGET THE RHB IN HERNANDEZ AND SANTANDER AND BRING UP OUR 1ST RHBAT FROM THE MINORS. USE ONE OF THE TOP 6 TO PLAY 2B GET A BACKUP C, TRY FOR SASAKI, WELL TAKE A TANNER SCOTT, PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING, NO BREGMAN NO ARENADO MOVING RAFFY BS NO CASAS TRADE DO NOT BLOW APART THE 6 YEARS OF PATIENCE WITH 1 HASTY WINTER MEETINGS…YA GOT THE TRADE DEADLINES THE WINTER OF 2025 AND THAT TRADE DEALINE TOO. GO SLOW! SIGN FREID AND BURNS Move the displaced SPs from their arrival to the Bullpen have the lot compete for the jobs available on the bump. So in review 2 ACES FREID AND BURNS TRY FOR SASAKI THATS IT!!! 2B GRISSOM, MAYER, CAMPBELL, MONTGOMERY, BACKUP C TEEL EVEN BUT PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING, NO TALENT TRADES DUMP THE NO FITS YOSHIDA ETC
Holy uppers
baseballguru – Technically, there was no rebuild until the off season when JD, Bogaerts and others from the 2018 team were finally dismissed unceremoniously. Then a rebuild needed to happen since Bloom tore down the championship roster.
Fried and Burnes would be great additions and could easily be afforded but if you leave Devers at 3B you still have 50 misplays a year adding to the stress of the pitching staff which translates to more innings for relievers, higher ERA and WHIP and far more loses. If Fried and Burnes can win 12 more games than whatever alternative we actually end up with then without moving Devers you get a net addition of 2 games since Devers mistakes cost the team close to 10 losses a year. Yes the pitching staff gets better but you don’t actually gain the full positive from the pitching moves unless you move Devers to DH ONLY. BURN his gloves. If you move him to 1B where Casas is developing into an all-star 1B, you now depleted the team to soothe the monster ego of a guy I’d like to see in a different uniform. Give Devers to STL for Arenado so we save the Bregman money.
I loved your rant. Just make sure Devers is DH or its all for naught.
Santander is an excellent fit for the Sox . The hell with loading up on pitching . You can never have enough guys who can’t play the field and are primarily a DH. Yoshida , Devers , and possibly Santander now .
If MLBTR has taught us anything this of season we all already know that the Red Sox are NOT interested in Anthony Santander, or anyone really. They just want people to think there interested in EVERYONE, but in reality, they AREN’T.
I’m so fed up with this
Sad Sox 3 – DITTO!!!!