Will the Boston Red Sox cut ties with Masataka Yoshida this offseason?

He signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Red Sox ahead of the 2023 season and has shown some flashes. Yoshida has the potential to be one of the top hitters for average in baseball, but injuries have slowed him down.

Now, there has been a lot of speculation about his future in Boston. The Red Sox need to balance out the lineup, and some have speculated that he may not have a long-term future with the club as a designated hitter.

Because of this, Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer put together an intriguing mock proposal that would land star third baseman Nolan Arenado in Boston.

“The Red Sox have a solid lineup, but it would be better if it was more balanced and offered quality defense in addition to offensive thump,” Rymer said. “Even at this stage of his career, Nolan Arenado could be a boon to Boston on both fronts. Though he hasn’t won a Gold Glove since going 10-for-10 in his first decade in the majors, Arenado proved this year that he’s still got it in the field

“He was good for nine Outs Above Average to rank third among third basemen…Trade Proposal: Boston Red Sox get 3B Nolan Arenado; St. Louis Cardinals get DH Masataka Yoshida. This would be a bad contract swap, albeit one in which the Cardinals would save $18.2 million. That would align with the franchise’s current goals.”

This would be a surprising deal for Boston. It would be great for the Red Sox to land someone like Arenado, but then it would lead to more changes. Rafael Devers would either be moved to designated hitter or another position like first base. This could lead to a trade involving Triston Casas. All in all, this is a fun idea, but there would be too many moving parts.