As is usually the case with a blockbuster trade, the Boston Red Sox have likely only begun to feel the effects of acquiring Garrett Crochet.
By trading four top prospects to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday for the lefty Crochet, Boston believes it has a new ace for its rotation in 2025. But they can hardly afford to stop improving the roster, not with the American League as wide-open as it’s ever been.
Though they could very well add another starting pitcher, the number-one need for the Red Sox is now right-handed hitting, especially after Tyler O’Neill walked to the Baltimore Orioles in free agency. The roster is now overloaded with lefties, and a big signing could force someone out.
Chris Landers of FanSided believes the Red Sox will make another trade this winter. In the aftermath of the Crochet deal, Landers predicted that designated hitter Masataka Yoshida would be on the move this winter, relieving part of the logjam in the batting order.
“The writing has been on the wall here for a while, but it’s now even tougher to see a scenario in which the Red Sox are forced to run things back with Yoshida as a DH or corner outfielder option in 2025,” Landers said.
“Crochet comes very cheap for 2025 and 2026, freeing Breslow up to splash some cash at a player like Teoscar Hernandez. Boston is already flush with lefty bats, and Yoshida hasn’t hit enough (and hasn’t added enough value elsewhere) to carve up a spot for himself in the lineup moving forward.”
Yoshida, 31, has had a rocky tenure in Boston so far, occasionally expressing confusion with the way he’s been used. Signed to be the team’s left fielder, he’s been forced into a DH-only role by the Red Sox’s more athletic young outfielders, while failing to fully live up to the lofty expectations he brought as a hitter.
Yoshida’s recent labrum surgery complicates matters, as it’s uncertain whether the contact specialist will be ready for Opening Day. He’s also got a big contract for someone who doesn’t provide much value beyond batting average and the occasional extra-base hit, with three years left on his five-year, $95 million deal.
Moving Yoshida could be a good opportunity for both parties to get a fresh start. But they’ll likely either have to eat money on the contract or take on one of the other side’s bad contracts in order to facilitate it.
