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Ignore the blather about Roman Anthony “needing to work on offspeed pitches in the zone.” He is ready for the big leagues today, and the Red Sox sure could use him. But, admittedly, it is going to take some roster juggling to get him up to Boston.
The simplest thing to do would likely be to move Ceddanne Rafaela to the infield, shift Jarren Duran to center, and slot Anthony in as the starting left fielder. I like that — it keeps Ceddanne in the system as he develops and there’s something romantic about Anthony taking over as the Red Sox left fielder, a position that’s been manned by one legend after another throughout history. But the Sox have a more complicated option, too: a trade. But who to send out the door?
Ceddanne Rafaela is currently one of the worst hitters in the big leagues. But his underlying metrics suggest he could turn things around. Moreover, his glove is so good that, if he can become just a league-average bat, he would be an immensely valuable player. As a trade candidate right now, though, he likely nets the Red Sox the least impressive return.
Jarren Duran has the highest ceiling of the three outfielders — we saw it last year, when he performed at an MVP level. He’s also older with fewer years of control left on his rookie eligible contract. He’d likely bring some serious talent back if the Sox trade him, but he’s also a key contributor to the team.
Like Ceddanne, Wilyer Abreu is young and cheap with lots of years of control remaining. Unlike Ceddanne, he’s already proven that he carries an effective big league bat in addition to a great glove. But he still has yet to prove he can consistently hit left-handed pitching. Given his age and the success he’s already had, he probably brings back something tasty, too.
So, who are you dealing?
