Trading Anthony Santander is this winter’s main dilemma for Orioles, Mike Elias

[dzorange]

Perhaps this was posted in one of the other threads, but Dan Connolly posted another piece today talking about Santander.

https://theathletic.com/3963455/2022/12/05/orioles-anthony-santander-mike-elias/

 

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The most interesting thing to watch as Elias conducts business, however, is whether he subtracts from his current 26-man roster, and, specifically, from his relatively young and established outfield.

Technically, all three starters should be available via trade: 27-year-old left fielder Austin Hays, 28-year-old center fielder Cedric Mullins and 28-year-old right fielder Anthony Santander.

 

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So, given his pop, his leadership, his work ethic and his contractual control, Elias would be foolish to deal away Santander, right?

Right?

Well, maybe.

It all depends on what Elias can get back for Santander and perhaps a prospect sweetener. If that return is a high-ceiling starting pitcher with some big-league success and contractual control, Elias will have to seriously consider it. At the least.

 

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But now it’s a little trickier. This new, lifting-off Elias is searching for another big-league starting pitcher to help the Orioles take the next step in the American League East and make the playoffs. And Santander is the Orioles’ best trade chip — he has legitimate market value and likely can be replaced in right field (at least easier than Mullins can in center).

 

Edited December 5, 2022 by dzorange

[tabletop]

I don't think Santander is anything special so I'd be fine with them trading him. Even last year his OBP was only .318 during his career year. Is it ever really going to get better than last year? I highly doubt it and he seems like a guy who is who he is at this point. If he was batting 6th or so in the lineup he'd be great but the O's are asking too much out of him as the 3 hole hitter IMO.

 

That being said Elias has stated multiple times they aren't moving him.

[Sports Guy]

The “main dilemma”.  Lol

No it’s not.

[dzorange]

10 minutes ago, tabletop said:

That being said Elias has stated multiple times they aren't moving him.

I haven’t seen that and it doesn’t sound like Elias. Do you have a link?

[interloper]

Wrong again, Dan-o. His penchant for misreading the room never fails to surprise me. Not only did Elias already say he wasn't interested in trading Santander, rendering this column virtually pointless, the biggest dilemma for the Orioles is clearly whether or not they can figure out how to obtain a TOR-ish starter. Period. 

[Sports Guy]

Just now, interloper said:

Wrong again, Dan-o. His penchant for misreading the room never fails to surprise me. Not only did Elias already say he wasn't interested in trading Santander, rendering this column virtually pointless, the biggest dilemma for the Orioles is clearly whether or not they can figure out how to obtain a TOR-ish starter. Period. 

You know what a GM says publicly doesn’t really mean anything, right?

 

[interloper]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

You know what a GM says publicly doesn’t really mean anything, right?

 

Sure, but Mike rarely says something that definitive and does the opposite, if ever. I'm more interested in what he didn't say: anything about Mullins. 

[tabletop]

3 minutes ago, dzorange said:

I haven’t seen that and it doesn’t sound like Elias. Do you have a link?

He said it in an interview with Jon Morosi.

 

He's also mentioned the arbitration numbers each time he's mentioned the payroll increasing. Santander is up for another round of arbitration.

I thought there was another time he mentioned it on High Heat but I can't find it.

[Aristotelian]

27 minutes ago, interloper said:

Wrong again, Dan-o. His penchant for misreading the room never fails to surprise me. Not only did Elias already say he wasn't interested in trading Santander, rendering this column virtually pointless, the biggest dilemma for the Orioles is clearly whether or not they can figure out how to obtain a TOR-ish starter. Period. 

Pitching isn't really a dilemma. It's something we definitely need to upgrade. Trading Santander is more of a dilemma, not because it is important to do so, but because we'd be giving something up in exchange for whatever we'd get in return. 

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Pitching isn't really a dilemma. It's something we definitely need to upgrade. Trading Santander is more of a dilemma, not because it is important to do so, but because we'd be giving something up in exchange for whatever we'd get in return. 

Sure, except Elias told us he's not trading Santander. Whether you believe that or not is up to you, but I can't really find an example of Elias saying something definitive like that and doing the opposite. It's of course possible. But I'm not basing an article off of assuming that Mike Elias is lying to our faces. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by interloper

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

Sure, except Elias told us he's not trading Santander. Whether you believe that or not is up to you, but I can't really find an example of Elias saying something definitive like that and doing the opposite. It's of course possible. But I'm not basing an article off of assuming that Mike Elias is lying to our faces. 

He has never said he will not trade him.(or anyone else)

That would mean he’s untouchable and he doesn’t view him as untouchable.

[interloper]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

He has never said he will not trade him.(or anyone else)

That would mean he’s untouchable and he doesn’t view him as untouchable.

I guess we read that quote differently. Elias doesn't do anything unless there's a strategy. "No real strategy" = "we're not trading" IMO. 

[dzorange]

This is the only quote I’ve seen from Elias, and it doesn’t say he won’t trade Santander.

”We see no real strategy in moving him, and I’m excited he’s coming back for the next two years. But obviously, we do our jobs and we listen to people.”

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

I guess we read that quote differently. Elias doesn't do anything unless there's a strategy. "No real strategy" = "we're not trading" IMO. 

Well that’s wrong.
 

 First of all, what do you think he will say?  Santander is available and we are looking to move him?  Do you really think he would say that publicly??

Secondly, “no real strategy” may be as simple as, we don’t know if we will make calls on him..make teams come to us but he doesn’t know for sure that teams will call.

It can be taken anyway but considering Elias is smart and not a moron, he isn’t going to shut the door on trading a 2 WAR, oft injured , fringe defensive OFer who is about to start to make “real money”.  Zippy chance that’s his thought process.

 

[interloper]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well that’s wrong.
 

 First of all, what do you think he will say?  Santander is available and we are looking to move him?  Do you really think he would say that publicly??

Secondly, “no real strategy” may be as simple as, we don’t know if we will make calls on him..make teams come to us but he doesn’t know for sure that teams will call.

It can be taken anyway but considering Elias is smart and not a moron, he isn’t going to shut the door on trading a 2 WAR, oft injured , fringe defensive OFer who is about to start to make “real money”.  Zippy chance that’s his thought process.

 

All he has to say is "we always listen to everything because that's our job but we certainly like the player". He's said that plenty of times - he didn't need to go out of his way to say he's not interested in trading Santander, but he did. 

Like I said, read it how you want. It's opinion. You're saying I'm wrong, which is your opinion. I believe I'm right, and that you're wrong.