After the Ravens triumphed over the Patriots in January’s AFC Championship, perhaps it was only fair to send a Flacco to the New England area.
On Friday, the Orioles traded first baseman Mike Flacco — younger brother of the Super Bowl XLVII MVP — to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations or a player to be named later. In a feel-good story, Baltimore’s baseball team drafted Flacco in the 31st round of the 2009 amateur draft out of CCBC-Catonsville.
Spending most of his season at Single-A Frederick last year, Flacco hit .214 with eight home runs and 35 runs batted in in 107 games played with the Keys and Double-A Bowie. The 26-year-old played at first base primarily but also spent time at third base and the corner outfield spots. He has a .253 career average in four minor league seasons.
Though it was a fun connection between Baltimore’s two major professional franchises, the younger Flacco clearly wasn’t progressing at a rate necessary to consider him more than organizational depth in the lower levels of the system. The dream of a Flacco on each team simply wasn’t going to come true and the Red Sox had an organizational need for more first base depth in the minors.
Of course, that won’t stop some from insisting this wouldn’t have happened if his brother had simply taken a little less money.
