Article: When Masataka Yoshida Returns to Boston, Where Does He Fit?

[Bryan Jaeger]

Masataka Yoshida is rehabbing his torn labrum in Fort Myers, but still has time before he's ready for a rehab assignment. When he returns to the big league lineup, where exactly will he find playing time?

After undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason, Masataka Yoshida is working through a throwing program and taking live at-bats, but Manager Alex Cora has said Yoshida is not close to a rehab assignment. This lack of a timeframe to return gives the front office time to consider what to do with the 31-year-old.

Last season, the left-handed hitter filled the designated hitter role, but Rafael Devers is in that role this season and Cora has said Devers will stay there. Yoshida isn't a strong outfielder and played only one inning in the outfield last season.

In 2022, Yoshida signed a $90 million, five-year deal. However, the outfield is crowded with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder on the 26-man roster and star prospect Roman Anthony waiting in the wings. You can't have a $90 million paycheck sitting on the bench or down in Triple-A.

What options do the Red Sox have regarding Masataka Yoshida?

Option 1: Trade Him
The Red Sox could use some pitching in return for Yoshida. In team ERA, the starting rotation ranks 20th (4.30), and the bullpen ranks 19th (3.96). Surely, power-needy teams would be interested in acquiring a solid left-handed bat, provided they have a hole at DH.

Option 2: Designate for Assignment
If the Red Sox can't find a trade partner, they can DFA Yoshida. This move would open a spot on the 40-man roster, giving the front office seven days to figure out a trade or place Yoshida on outright or unconditional release waivers.

If they can't find a trade partner, I'd assume the team would issue an unconditional release. This means if Yoshida is not claimed off waivers, he will be released. Outright releases mean he can be sent down to Triple-A if not claimed by another team. The Red Sox won't want that huge contract in the minors.

Option 3: Figure Out Whether Devers or Yoshida Can Play First Base
This move is doubtful to happen, but with Triston Casas's early struggles, the option is at least worth considering. Casas is slashing a brutal .172/.243/.266 with one home run, three RBI, and three runs scored, for a 35 wRC+. The first baseman also has durability issues, having played more than 70 games only once in four seasons in the big leagues. Determining whether Devers or Yoshida can play first isn't completely ridiculous, especially since Casas is on a one-year pre-arbitration deal and is set for his first arbitration level after the season.

Yoshida has proven that he can be successful in the majors, but there's an obvious solution for him to make it on the Red Sox's 26-man roster. Regardless of where the 31-year-old winds up, that team will get a power surge from the left-handed hitter.

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[mvp 78]

Yoshida is NOT playing 1B. C'mon now. 

[moonslav59]

18 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Yoshida is NOT playing 1B. C'mon now. 

Devers could and might prefer it to DH'ing.

I have to wonder what the Casas trade value is, right now. It's likely not as low as some might think it is.

1. Duran CF

2. Devers 3B

3. Bregman 3B

4. Abreu RF/Story SS

5. Story SS/Refsnyder RF

6. Yoshida DH

7. Campbell 2B

8. Anthony LF

9. Wong/Narvaez/Grandal

Bench: Catcher, Abreu/Refsnyder, Rafaela, Romy

[Larry Cook]

Old baseball saying: you can never have too much depth! 

[mvp 78]

Casas also has options left. They could just send him to AAA to get his head straight for a month and wait for him to mash.

[Larry Cook]

Will the warmer weather help Casas and Devers ????

[moonslav59]

34 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Old baseball saying: you can never have too much depth! 

But you can have a lack of quality at the expense of a quantity of mediocrity.

[moonslav59]

10 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Will the warmer weather help Casas and Devers ????

Maybe.

Career splits for Casas:

.658 April

.766 May

.839 June

1.199 July

.852 August

.798 Sept

Devers, not so much...

.806 April

.908 May

.889 June

1.008 July

.759 August

.798 Sept

[Larry Cook]

Andrew wright of Newsweek floated a Devers to the cubs trade idea!!! Seems like Matt Shaw got sent to the minors. Maybe bres-slow needs to call the cubs asap!!!!!  I am thinking Devers and yoshida for a thank card and a bucket of used baseballs!!!

[moonslav59]

29 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Andrew wright of Newsweek floated a Devers to the cubs trade idea!!! Seems like Matt Shaw got sent to the minors. Maybe bres-slow needs to call the cubs asap!!!!!  I am thinking Devers and yoshida for a thank card and a bucket of used baseballs!!!

I can't believe people have bailed, so quickly, on Devers.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

I can't believe people have bailed, so quickly, on Devers.

You should believe it. You've been on the internet long enough to see this behavior before. 

[Kimmi]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

I can't believe people have bailed, so quickly, on Devers.

Fans tend to bail quickly on any player who's not performing.  I get it.  It's hard to have patience sometimes, but it's a must.  We've seen players time and time again come back strongly after a very tough stretch.

[Larry Cook]

Did we cut fulmer? 

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, Kimmi said:

Fans tend to bail quickly on any player who's not performing.  I get it.  It's hard to have patience sometimes, but it's a must.  We've seen players time and time again come back strongly after a very tough stretch.

We've also seen some players just completely lose it. I don't think Devers is the type of player to completely lose it at his age though. For me, knowing there was an issue with his should just makes me wonder if something else is causing this slump. I don't agree with the nonsense about pouting about 3b. 

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Did we cut fulmer? 

DFA, but he may stick around. 

[Kimmi]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

We've also seen some players just completely lose it. I don't think Devers is the type of player to completely lose it at his age though. For me, knowing there was an issue with his should just makes me wonder if something else is causing this slump. I don't agree with the nonsense about pouting about 3b. 

Yes, sometimes players just lose it, but you have to give it some time to know if a player has just lost it or if it's something else.  I don't think that Devers is pouting about 3B any longer, but I do think that the mental adjustment of going from a full time position player to DH could be a real factor.

[Cameron Tran]

22 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

DFA, but he may stick around. 

Cora loved him in AAA as a mentor type if Fulmer accepts that they'd rather him in AAA I assume

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

You should believe it. You've been on the internet long enough to see this behavior before. 

It's beyond bailing. We're talking a "bucket of balls" trade.

[Larry Cook]

15 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

It's beyond bailing. We're talking a "bucket of balls" trade.

A bucket of used baseballs!!!!   And I was just joking!!! But bres-slow should kick the tires on everything just as a matter of good business practice 

[Old Red]

38 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

It's beyond bailing. We're talking a "bucket of balls" trade.

Oh no! Say it ain’t so. Raffy for a bucket of balls🙈🤭. Raffy usually takes most of the abuse on the game threads, and from bat to bat depending on how he does good, or bad, so it’s nothing new.

[drewski6]

27 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

A bucket of used baseballs!!!!   And I was just joking!!! But bres-slow should kick the tires on everything just as a matter of good business practice 

sounds like a variation of "just asking questions"

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, Kimmi said:

Fans tend to bail quickly on any player who's not performing.  I get it.  It's hard to have patience sometimes, but it's a must.  We've seen players time and time again come back strongly after a very tough stretch.

Ive experienced the opposite with my friends. But I understand there is a contingent who do not have patience.  But my friends were jumping for joy over james paxton's return, telling me that verdugo was good, and all this other "had fallen in love with mediocrity" takes.

And calling Verdugo mediocre is generous.

People get impatient, but people also tend to overrate their own guys.

[moonslav59]

44 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

A bucket of used baseballs!!!!   And I was just joking!!! But bres-slow should kick the tires on everything just as a matter of good business practice 

Devers has been our best offensive player since Betts was traded. If you believe in clutch, and often complain about the Sox lack of timely hitting, then consider this...

Devers has a career .852 OPS.

.859 High Leverage

.868 Men on Base

.879 2 outs RISP

.891 RISP

He was on pace for a career high OPS in 2024- yes, way back 9 months ago, before an injury set him back.

I'm not against trading anybody for a better return, but I would not single him out as the guy I'm kicking tires on. Listen to offers, sure, but I'm not going out of my way to find a way to get rid of our best hitter.

[harmony]

5 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Andrew wright of Newsweek floated a Devers to the cubs trade idea!!! Seems like Matt Shaw got sent to the minors. Maybe bres-slow needs to call the cubs asap!!!!!  I am thinking Devers and yoshida for a thank card and a bucket of used baseballs!!!

Rafael Devers (-$15.5 millon) and Masataka Yoshida (-$42.5 million) have a combined negative trade value of a negative $58 million, according to Baseball Trade Values.

BTV assigns Matt Shaw a trade value of $39.2 million.

[Hitch]

5 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I can't believe people have bailed, so quickly, on Devers.

Through sheer existence, sports fans are impatient, but the start of this season has been something else. 

I've said it all summer - if Devers is DH, Yoshi has no place on this team outside of expensive depth. Trade ain't happening, they will almost certainly not DFA him, doesn't leave much else.  

[moonslav59]

16 minutes ago, Hitch said:

Through sheer existence, sports fans are impatient, but the start of this season has been something else. 

I've said it all summer - if Devers is DH, Yoshi has no place on this team outside of expensive depth. Trade ain't happening, they will almost certainly not DFA him, doesn't leave much else.  

He has options remaining, so AAA is an option.

We are not squeezed on the 40 man, as we just DFA'd Fulmer, and Sogard is no wonder player.

We could probably 60 Day IL Crawford or Wong, or DFA Sabol to add Grandal. 

Once we hit the wall on other options, we will keep Yoshida in AAA. That day might not even come, this year.

[Larry Cook]

I think Cora said Wong is back in 3 weeks 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

I think Cora said Wong is back in 3 weeks 

I'm not sure he ends up playing more than Narvaez, even when fully healthy.

[Kimmi]

On 4/18/2025 at 5:07 PM, drewski6 said:

Ive experienced the opposite with my friends. But I understand there is a contingent who do not have patience.  But my friends were jumping for joy over james paxton's return, telling me that verdugo was good, and all this other "had fallen in love with mediocrity" takes.

And calling Verdugo mediocre is generous.

People get impatient, but people also tend to overrate their own guys.

Very true about overrating your own guys.  I have to admit that I am guilty of doing that.  Actually, I'm not so sure it's overrating guys or just trying to stay positive about players?  Are they the same thing?

Some of it is probably wishful thinking and hoping for the best, some of it is feeling the need to defend Red Sox players against all the criticism.  Some of it is having a lot of patience, maybe too much. 

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, Kimmi said:

Very true about overrating your own guys.  I have to admit that I am guilty of doing that.  Actually, I'm not so sure it's overrating guys or just trying to stay positive about players?  Are they the same thing?

Some of it is probably wishful thinking and hoping for the best, some of it is feeling the need to defend Red Sox players against all the criticism.  Some of it is having a lot of patience, maybe too much. 

It depends about which one you are talking about and the context.

For example, some of the worst takes Ive ever read on this forum, Ive read today. From good posters too. Anybody, anywhere talking about getting rid of Duran, and saying (for example): I wouldnt trade Duran for the best closer and the best catcher together in a 2 for 1. Thats not overrating (and I dont mean because it was me who said it). Because hes awesome (and I was on board with trading him last year).

Different sport , I know, but I hvae this friend who just wouldnt give up on Mac Jones. He blamed everyone else and wanted to keep giving Mac chance after Mac. Thats prob an example of overrating his own guys.