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I do think sending him down to the minors is only being done to keep him as opposed to a DFA. The Sox do need to keep him. If he can’t/won’t be demoted, they still need to keep him. Their weakest link is more likely offense than the inability to find a makeshift right fielder for two innings…

As I have been saying for years, the man really is a good hitter. And in an era where having legitimate MLB starting talent on the bench is financially impossible for most (all?) teams, the Sox have the rare opportunity to accomplish this on a roster on which he effectively covers 4 players. Maybe there’s a different reason there’s been no trade chatter on him all off-season…

Improving the weakest slot is “OFTEN THE BEST” way to improving the team? I suppose if you like overly dramatically emphasized marginal upgrades. I mean, the weakest roster spot of at least 25 MLB rosters belongs to the backup catcher - arguably, Boston is one of these teams. How much will these teams really improve with a backup catcher upgrade? The Sox biggest weakness is likely to be offense. Who hits better? Yoshida? Or Eaton? Or Gasper? Heck, let’s include Romy vs RHP. For now, Casas and Romy are out. And no, you don’t need to clear places for them. All these other players on the Sox - Monasterio, Gasper, Ziegler, Ward - can all stay on the 40 for now. But they have to wait their turn because they’re simply not as good of a hitter as Yoshida…

I was commenting about the fact that I was watching Team USA play Team Brazil in a game in which 17 year old Joe Contreras (son of José) was pitching fairly well against an MLB All Star team (not an AL All Star or an NL All Star team - but an MLB one) and I had to listen to some annoying announcer blather on about Shohei Ohtani and how he homered against the Chinese Taipei team, while the story right in front of him was this high schooler who faced Aaron Judge with the bases loaded and induced an inning ending double play. I guess I’m just not as impressed that 3 time MLB MVP can hit a home run off a 28 year old pitcher from the CPBL as I should be…

How does any of that make him a relevant discussion topic during a game between Team USA and Team Brazil?

Do people not get how depth works? I nblame the sports media, you know, the folks who saw a team with two good quarterbacks and labeled it a “controversy”. Just because they keep Yoshida does not impact the playing time of others if they prove better. If Campbell outhits Yoshida, he likely plays ahead of him at some point in the six month long schedule that features a game nearly every day. Did people forget last year, this team managed to find over 250 plate appearances for Abraham Toro? That at some point, Blake Sabol was batting? Or that the 2024 Red Sox gave over 500 combined plate appearances to Enmanuel Valdez and Dominic Smith? Where were these guys on your March Depth Charts? If your argument in March rests solely on Yoshida or Hamilton or whoever being in line for PT ahead of someone you would rather watch, that’s on you for either unrealistic expectations or favoritism. Let Campbell (who is a terrible argument for a bench spot over Yoshida) earn his way back. I think he will. I also think it’s irrelevant here. The choice comes down to an NPB superstar or some AAAA player like Eaton or Gasper or Siegler or Sogard, I don’t get why anyone is even considering the career minor leaguers. But hey, maybe the Sox can trade Yoshida, watch another outfielder get hurt and we finally get to see what happens if Nate Eaton gets 400 PAs against MLB pitching. I set the over/under for his OPS at .590…

This was getting to be more of a story in the Olympics than it needed to be, as well, largely because of Eileen Gu choosing to ski for China rather than the USA, and some people clearly taking that decision that had no effect on their lives far too personally. But really, isn’t all sports above high school really a bunch of people playing for a city/state/country not their own? It’s not like the Red Sox players have to be from Boston, or Massachusetts, or even the USA. And while the Seahawks made Seattle the Best Football City in America, it’s not like anyone on that team is from Seattle. (Ok, Cooper Kupp is from Yakima, WA. I can count it.) I have reached the point in my fandom where I really don’t care who plays for Team USA or Team Netherlands or Team Upper Volta, I’m just glad baseball is back. Although maybe they could cut back on the Shohei praise a little. Like maybe limit it to games he is actually playing in…

Actually, at 30.3 ft/sec, it was Trea Turner last year, just beating out Victor Scott, Bobby Witt Jr., and Byron Buxton, who tied at 30.2 ft/sec. All numbers per StatCast. https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/sprint_speed

RHP/enforcer

The Sox don’t have a healthy Casas. Why make a spot for him now? It’s like the Sox just forgot about Tanner Houck when they gave all that money to Ranger Suarez!! Eaton is not some “up and coming” young outfielder who needs a path to production. And Braiden Ward is not the Second Coming of Ty Cobb. $4-5 million for an addition at the deadline? Trade Yoshida and outfield becomes thin enough that you increase the chance youre using those savings to replace the outfield depth you lost in Yoshida. And no, Nate Eaton is not going to be an exciting full time player. KC didn’t let him walk because they feared his overflowing potential. Simple question - who would have helped the Sox more last August/September - Dustin May or Quinn Priester?

Huh? Yoshida is blocking a 29 year old AAAA player that was released by the Royals, a team that needs outfielders!?! If Eaton had a path to production, he’d still be eating quality barbecue. And he isn’t blocking Ward, either, since award isn’t even on the 40 man roster (and, at age 28, it’s kind of questionable to think he’s a prospect.) Yoshida isn’t “blocking” Casas, either. First of all, Casas’ inability to perform mundane baseball tasks without sustaining a season-ending injury is what blocks Casas. Second, if Casas is actually better than Yoshida, then Casas will start over him...

And why do that? If you’re paying that much of his salary, just keep him…

I’m south you. I’m Pro-Shida. It seems silly to let a good hitter go while keeping Mickey Gasper…

Ummmm …

When Devers signed his extension, he wanted some sort of guarantee he would always play third. Asking him to move earlier would have just started his tantrum earlier…

Can Ward be the first player in MLB history whose sprint speed is greater than his exit velocity?

I heard he is so fast that if he hits a line drive up the middle, he has to slow down or else the ball might strike him on the head as he rounds second base…

Ward is basically the second coming of Tim Locastro, except while getting the attention of the second coming of Bryce Harper…

Ok, 0 chance Braiden Ward breaks the single season record for runs scored. It’s 198 runs by Billy Hamilton, the Hall of Famer, not the former Red-Padre-Cub-White Sox-Marlin-Blue-Jay-Yakut Swallow(?). The original Hamilton might be better known as the guy who had the career stolen base record before Lou Brock broke it. Hamilton set this record in 1894, so it’s clearly no easy one to break. Ward’s minor league career high is 76 runs scored. But he is clearly in a mild Breslow likes - multi-positional players like IKF, Gasper, and Siegler, with all but IKF showing solid on base skills. (It does make me wonder how Bryan Torres got past Breslow.) I think Ward has a shot at his MLB debut at some point this year. But he is behind folks like Siegler and Gasper, both of whom are already on the 40 man roster despite not putting on the spring training show Ward is…

I think it’s a bad idea. Does that mean you think I’m no one? Like if I was walking through the forest and a tree fell in front of me, you think it wouldn’t make a sound?

Maybe a switch-hitting Yoshida? BTV values Yoshida similarly to Anthony Santander. Do you make the swap? Bear in mind Santander is coming off a .565 OPS season and is still owed 4 years $80 mill and out until August. And anyone thinking “at least he has to be a defensive upgrade” has clearly never seen Santander in the OF. Just because someone was dumb enough to put him out there doesn’t mean he handled it well…

Jeremy Peña fractured his finger and will miss the WBC. While Peña is fully expected to be ready by opening day, the Astros will probably find it wise to realize their infield surplus is right now one HBP away from an infield deficit. They might be thinking that holding on to Paredes is the wise move for now…

Why are you picking on Yoshida’s height?

He simply means if Casas can ever stay healthy, he is more likely than most to hit 30 HRs. The health makes it bold. Casas did hit 24 in 502 PA as a 23 year old…

Can he talk himself into a Peyton Tolle bullpen role?