The Boston Red Sox are one of the hottest teams in baseball. Their ten-game winning streak was just snapped by the Chicago Cubs, but things are going about as well as possible for the Sox, especially considering they traded their best player earlier this season.
Still, the team isn’t without its holes, and first base is one of them. Abraham Toro, the team’s current option, has been passable for most of the season. But if this team wants to make a real push in the postseason, it needs to make an upgrade at that position; enter Orioles first baseman / designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, one of the most popular names on the trade market.
With the Orioles being one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this year, an O’Hearn trade seems more like “when” than “if,” especially with O’Hearn’s contract expiring after this year.
And with recent reports that it might not take a huge package to pry O’Hearn from the O’s, here’s a potential package that gives the Sox their first baseman and the Orioles a reset with two solid prospects.
Ryan O’Hearn for two prospects could be beneficial for both teams
Nelly Taylor is the No. 19 player in the Red Sox org, and Mullins is No. 29, both according to MLB Pipeline.
Mullins has been really good in Double-A so far this year, posting a 2.48 ERA over nine starts, and the expectation is that he’ll be close to MLB-ready by 2026.
Baltimore could certainly use the pitching help, and getting a young arm with enough upside to one day be a consistent middle-to-end of rotation guy for the expiring contract of O’Hearn.
Taylor, meanwhile, has the power-speed combo that MLB front offices love. He’s only 22 years old and has been okay at high-A ball, but it might be a while until he cracks a MLB roster.
It’s not the most thrilling return for Baltimore, especially for an All-Star in O’Hearn. But there might not be much better options out there, and it wouldn’t make much sense keeping O’Hearn in what is essentially a lost season. Two prospects, including a pitcher, who could feasibly both be big league players in a few years, is still a win, despite the lack of big names.
