The Orioles Should Steal This Free Agent Away From the Red Sox

The 2022 MLB season is less than a month away from starting and the Baltimore Orioles still have a lot of areas that they must improve. The Orioles finished with a 52-110 record in 2021 — their fifth consecutive losing season — and are hoping to find more success in the coming campaign.

The third base position is one area where Baltimore could use another body. That's why it would make perfect sense for them to steal third baseman Travis Shaw away from the rival Boston Red Sox.

Orioles Free Agency

Shaw is no stranger to the American League East, having spent 288 of his 726 (39.6%) career games with the Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

The 31-year-old veteran 3B spent the 2021 MLB season between the Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers, tallying nine home runs, 39 RBIs and a .200/.286/.373 line in 220 at-bats.

Although his offense is down compared to his 2017 and 2018 seasons, what makes Shaw attractive is his ability to play any non-shortstop infield position. Yes, the Orioles could use him at third, but they can also move him around if need be.

Nevertheless, Shaw has played the majority of his innings (4,144.0-of-5,425.1) at third, where he has a .964 fielding percentage. Even if he isn't a game-changing addition, there's no denying that his experience gives Baltimore some stability at the hot corner while its younger players develop.

Even by adding Shaw, the Orioles would still be a ways away from being an AL East threat. FanDuel Sportsbook is currently giving them the worst odds to win the division in 2022 at +15000.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.