A Masataka Yoshida trade appears imminent, but that might not be the best idea.
The Boston Red Sox have one of the deepest lineups in baseball even without Masataka Yoshida, who currently sits on the IL after undergoing shoulder surgery. In 2023, the Red Sox signed Yoshida out of Japan to a five-year, $90 million contract. This was before they found out he could not field a position in the Majors: After a dismal showing in the outfield grass in his MLB debut, Yoshida spent last season as Boston’s primary DH before an injury pulled him off the field entirely.
Yoshida’s shabby defense and last season’s injuries have made him a target of scrutiny in Boston. Red Sox fans were quick to advocate for a trade over the winter that would dump Yoshida and his contract. Now, it seems their wish is about to be granted.
But this may be a decision the Fenway faithful quickly lament.
Making the case for Masataka Yoshida to stay in Boston
In his first two years in Beantown, Yoshida posted a solid slash line of .285/.343/.433/.755 with 25 home runs through 915 at-bats. The power numbers here might not be what any team wants from a $90 million designated hitter, especially in Boston where Red Sox fans had grown accustomed to Big Papi, but his average and on-base numbers are definitely nothing to scoff at. In fact, he led the team in batting average in 2023 and finished second on the team in both average and on-base percentage in his abbreviated 2024 campaign.
For any team, Yoshida isn’t a player you should want to just throw away. His bat-to-ball skills have provided the Red Sox with ample RBI as well as run-scoring opportunities. If he shouldn’t return to the Red Sox lineup, this might be like pulling teeth from their dangerous batting order, eating into their fantastic lineup depth. But with the roster full and the farm system overflowing with MLB-ready talent, what can be done?
Kristian Campbell, now Boston’s primary second baseman, is a flexible defender. It might be best to move him to the outfield where he is thought to be a better fit. In the end, it seems like the logical thing to do would be to trade Ceddanne Rafaela. Rafaela owns a career batting average of .244 and an on-base percentage of .273. Rafaela’s key strength is his speed; his quick feet allow him to be a plus defender in centerfielder, but his speed on the basepaths hasn’t yet translated into ideal results with 19 stolen bases in 29 attempts last year.
