It’s not that the Boston Red Sox and Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow haven’t been active this winter.
The Garrett Crochet trade was massive, and the Walker Buehler signing has the potential to pay off nicely. But they’ve still not spent enough money to placate fans who wanted the team to make a splash.
There may not be too many options left for the Red Sox to target, but they’re quite familiar with one of those options. He’s played in their division for his entire career so far, and he hit some big home runs against them in 2024.
Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander, a 2024 All-Star who hit 44 home runs this year, has yet to come off the board. He’s not a perfect player, as his .307 on-base percentage demonstrates, but he’s a switch-hitter who could give Boston some much-needed power against left-handed pitchers.
On Friday, after Teoscar Hernández signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Christopher Kline of FanSided urged the Red Sox to act quickly and pursue Santander instead.
“Santander is plainly what the Red Sox are looking for,” Kline said. “He does struggle a bit from the right side of the plate, compared to the left, so it’s not an ideal fit.”
But, the remaining free agent pool is short on “perfect” options. If the Red Sox weren’t going to splurge enough for Soto or Hernandez, Santander was always the logical outfield upgrade.”
It’s tough to say what the market will look like for Santander in the wake of the Hernández signing. He made $11.7 in arbitration this year and is almost certainly looking to double that annually. But depending on years, that could mean he signs for anywhere from $70 million to $110 million.
For a player who has both exaggerated strengths and flaws, it’s hard to see the Red Sox making that type of expenditure. But it’s nice to hold out hope, because the alternative is a sour taste in fans’ mouths heading into the spring.