Red Sox First Base Answer Might Be Orioles' Former No. 36 Overall Pick

The Boston Red Sox have had plenty of questions at first base since Triston Casas went down with a season-ending injury.

Casas’s misfortune set off an entirely new Rafael Devers drama in Boston, which did not result in Devers swallowing his pride and reclaiming his glove for the squad at first base.

Boston pivoted away from the Devers idea and began giving rookie Kristian Campbell practice reps at first base, despite Campbell having never played the position at any level of pro baseball.

But does Boston’s solution for the position have to be an internal one? Surely, the Red Sox could snag a first baseman on the trade market.

On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer acknowledged that as he suggested a Baltimore Orioles player for the Red Sox.

“It … isn't too soon for Breslow to scan the market for infield upgrades,” Rymer wrote. “In Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O'Hearn, the equally disappointing Baltimore Orioles have two potential replacements for Casas at first base.”

Mountcastle, 28, is a career .263/.313/.441 hitter with 93 home runs. He debuted with Baltimore in August of 2020 and was the No. 36 overall selection of the Orioles in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.

This season, Mountcastle is slashing .246/.280/.348 (entering Saturday) with two home runs and 15 RBIs in 187 at-bats.

Mountcastle’s right-handed bat would be a notable addition for a Red Sox lineup expected to be without Alex Bregman (quad) for an extended period.

It’s questionable how willing the Orioles would be to trade Mountcastle to a division rival, but Baltimore may be open to anything given the way their season has gone.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox are set to debut Campbell at first base on Sunday versus the Atlanta Braves. Perhaps Campbell will hold down the fort at first in a way that convinces CBO Craig Breslow to avoid going after exterior help at the position.