...
By Aaliyan Mohammed
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Boston Red Sox have too many quality outfielders, and Masataka Yoshida seems to be the odd man out.
Yoshida signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Red Sox before the 2023 season. After four 20-plus home run seasons in Japan, Yoshida has just 29 home runs in 303 MLB games. He missed most of last season with an injury as well. Between Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, there is no path to playing time for Yoshida.
All four are better defenders than Yoshida and the Red Sox will need the designated hitter spot to get their four young outfielders playing time. Yoshida, who has primarily been a designated hitter anyway, is not better that much better than any of them offensively. Playing him as a designated hitter over any of Duran, Anthony, Abreu or Rafaela would be unjustified. MassLive's Chris Cotillo predicted the Red Sox would trade Yoshida as a result.
Read More on MLB
...
"At a certain point, Breslow will have to cut his losses with Yoshida, who is not without value but simply doesn’t fit the roster as currently constructed," wrote Cotillo. "Having a team eat a large chunk of Yoshida’s remaining salary — and taking a prospect along with him — is a path to clearing the logjam and some money. The Red Sox should be actively exploring such moves."
Yoshida has a .282 batting average, but the power has not translated from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball. He is due north of $18 million next season, and it will not be easy to offload him. However, he does not fit into the Red Sox's current roster.
More MLB: Braves Sign Former Blue Jays 1st-Round Pick to Boost Infield
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines