Submit Your Questions For This Week’s Episode Of The MLBTR Podcast
On the MLB Trade Rumors podcast, we regularly answer questions from our readers and listeners. With the next episode set for Wednesday, we’re looking for MLBTR’s audience to submit their questions and we’ll pick a few to answer.
The 2025 season is chugging along, and the trade deadline is just over four weeks away. If you have a question about the campaign, a look ahead to the deadline or anything else baseball-related, we’d love to hear from you! You can email your questions to mlbtrpod@gmail.com.
Also, if you want to hear your voice on the podcast, send us your question in audio form and we might play it. iPhone users can find instructions on how to do so here.
In the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Poll: Should The Pirates Trade Mitch Keller?
The second year of the Paul Skenes era in Pittsburgh is not going well. The Pirates are currently 35-50, leaving them buried in both the NL Central and the Wild Card race. The Bucs stand as one of the few clear sellers this summer, and it seems as though the team is operating with very few untouchables. One of the names that’s gotten the a good bit of buzz this summer is right-hander Mitch Keller, who has drawn attention as one of the few established, controllable starting pitchers with a chance to be dealt.
The Cubs have come up as a potential suitor for Keller, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported yesterday that the sides have been discussing a deal for more than a week. That’s not necessarily an indication that a trade, whether with the Cubs or otherwise, is particularly close. Still, it lends credence to the idea that the Pirates are serious in their willingness to consider moving the right-hander. That’s at least a mild surprise, given that he’s in just the second season of a five-year contract, but there’s a case to be made that the Pirates should capitalize right now.
After all, Keller is making $54.5MM over the final three years of his contract. That’s a below-market sum for a solid mid-rotation veteran but still steep for the perennially low-budget Pirates. Pittsburgh has already assembled an impressive group of young pitching talent with Skenes, top prospect Bubba Chandler, and injured-but-talented righty Jared Jones leading the pack. With affordable arms like Mike Burrows, Braxton Ashcraft and Thomas Harrington already having debuted, and well-regarded prospect Hunter Barco not far behind, the Pirates are amassing some enviable pitching depth. (That doesn’t include left-hander Bailey Falter, who’s affordably controlled for three more seasons.)
Pittsburgh would arguably be better off spending Keller’s salary on some sorely needed offense. Teoscar Hernandez, for example, signed with the Dodgers for a similar amount: $66MM over three years, with enough money deferred to lower the net present value of the contract to just under $60MM. Gleyber Torres, Tyler O’Neill, Christian Walker, and Pete Alonso are among the other hitters who signed for $60MM or less guaranteed this past winter. Not all of those deals have worked out, and there are always dangers of spending on even mid-range free agents like this, but the Pirates could have made reasonably competitive bids for some notable veterans on the open market with a sum comparable to what they still owe Keller.
Aside from the ability to reallocate financial resources, moving Keller would surely come with a solid return. Cost-controlled starting pitching is typically the most valuable commodity on the trade market, and while Keller is hardly elite given his 109 ERA+ this year, his affordable contract and year-to-year stability would give the acquiring club additional long-term certainty in their rotation that a rental pitcher like Zac Gallen could offer.
Using the Cubs’ system as an example due to their status as a rumored suitor for Keller, it’s easy to see why the Pirates might be willing to deal within the division. Chicago has a number of quality position player prospects knocking on the door of the big leagues. Outfielder Owen Caissie has 12 home runs and a 125 wRC+ at Triple-A Iowa as a 22-year-old this year. Catcher/DH Moises Ballesteros, outfielder Kevin Alcantara, and infielder James Triantos are all close to MLB-ready as well. Triantos’ stock is down after a difficult and injury-marred start to the 2025 season, but a package centering around one of those other young hitters could be appealing for a Pirates club that is looking to players like Andrew McCutchen and Spencer Horwitz to fill out the middle of its order at present. Other clubs with upper-level position player prospects have undoubtedly inquired on Keller, too.
As appealing as some of the arguments for trading Keller may be, there are real concerns that would come with making a deal. Keller was once looked at as a potential No. 2 starter during his prospect days and, while he hasn’t lived up to that potential yet, he’s not far removed from a three-WAR season wherein he struck out 25.5% of his opponents. His 4.21 ERA that year was pedestrian, but his 3.83 SIERA was 18th-best in baseball among qualified starters, just behind Logan Gilbert and ahead of players like Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, and Dylan Cease. Keller is still just 29 years old, and he certainly wouldn’t be the first pitcher to take a step forward in the middle of his prime. If the Pirates believe Keller still has another gear, they might prefer to hold onto him in hopes that he can unlock it and increase his trade value or his value to the Pirates themselves.
Aside from the possibility of selling at less than peak value, it’s worth noting how much uncertainty there is when it comes to developing pitching. The Tigers drafted Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize back in 2018 but only began to truly see the fruits of that labor last year after both players were derailed by injuries early in their career. Jones is already recovering from elbow surgery, and with pitching injuries seemingly more frequent than ever, it can be hard to part with a steady arm like Keller. Given the soaring price of pitching in free agency, the Pirates would likely have to keep scoring deals on low-cost veterans like they did with Andrew Heaney this year in order to fill out and create depth behind their young rotation mix.
How do MLBTR readers think the Pirates should act regarding Keller? Should they move to trade him in order to help boost the offense for their young arms, or should they hang onto him as a veteran presence and hope he can increase his value from here? Have your say in the poll below:
Should The Pirates Trade Mitch Keller?
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Yes, they should trade him before this year's deadline. 69% (3,510)
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No, he should be a building block in their rotation. 22% (1,109)
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Yes, but they should wait until the offseason or next year's deadline. 9% (437)
Total votes: 5,056
The Opener: Brown, Waldron, Schmitt
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:
1. Brown to sign?
Outfielder Seth Brown elected free agency last week after being designated for assignment by the Athletics, and a report from MLBTR’s Anthony Franco yesterday afternoon indicates that Brown is deciding between three teams and is likely to sign somewhere within the coming days. The 32-year-old outfielder struggled badly through 38 games with the A’s this year, slashing just .185/.303/.262 across 76 plate appearances. Tough as this season has been for Brown, however, he hit a respectable .225/.289/.426 with 73 homers and 102 wRC+ from 2021 to 2024. He also boasts a career 109 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, so a club that struggles to produce against righties could benefit from his services if they’re willing to look past his poor start to the year.
2. Waldron to make season debut:
Right-hander Matt Waldron is set to make his season debut later today, per a report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Waldron will be on the mound for the Padres in Philadelphia when they take on the Phillies at 6:35pm local time (3:35pm CT). The knuckleballer posted a pedestrian 4.91 ERA (84 ERA+) in 146 2/3 innings of work last year, but his 4.26 FIP and a 4.13 SIERA both indicated that he could benefit from some positive regression in the future. He’s made five starts at Triple-A this year since returning from an oblique strain that sidelined him at the beginning of the season, and now that he’s back in the big leagues he’ll face off against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (2.45 ERA).
3. Schmitt to undergo MRI:
The Giants’ infield has been stretched thin lately as third baseman Casey Schmitt has been forced to sit since he was hit in the wrist by a pitch on June 25. A CT scan showed no fracture and he was diagnosed with a bone bruise, but Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Schmitt is set to undergo an MRI once they arrive in Arizona for tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks. That could mean that more details on Schmitt’s injury and whether or not he’ll ultimately require a trip to the injured list will be available as soon as today. Christian Koss has been at third base with Brett Wisely at second while Schmitt has been on the mend so far, though a trip to the IL would mean a tough loss for the Giants’ lineup as Schmitt has slashed .276/.360/.439 in 34 games this year.
White Sox Place Luis Robert Jr. On 10-Day Injured List
The White Sox announced this afternoon that they’ve placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. The move is retroactive to June 26. Chicago will make a corresponding roster move prior to Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers, but will have just 25 players available for this afternoon’s game against the Giants.
The fact that Robert needs an IL stint is hardly a surprise given that he’s missed each of the club’s last three games, but (as noted by Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun Times) the timing of the move is a bit unusual. Robert was participating in light baseball activities before today’s game against the Giants, and he was expected to be evaluated further on Monday in order to determine whether or not an IL stint would be necessary. Perhaps Robert’s pregame activities today made it clear to the Sox that a trip to the shelf would be needed. It’s also worth noting that IL stints can be backdated a maximum of three days, so any time spent waiting after today would’ve effectively lengthened the minimum amount of time that Chicago would be without their outfielder.
The White Sox are surely hoping this will be a minimum stint or close to it. The possibility for a Robert trade has been a major topic of the rumor mill for years now, and after the club declined to trade him at various other points throughout their rebuild for fear of selling low on their mercurial and oft-injured star, his value may now be at its lowest point ever.
Robert has hit just .185/.270/.313 across 73 games this year. While he’s swiped 23 bases and is walking at a career-high 10.2% clip, he’s striking out more than 30% of the time and has the worst power numbers of his career. Even his once-elite center field defense isn’t holding up quite as well as it has in previous years. While his +3 Outs Above Average is certainly a solid number, it’s a far cry from the +13 OAA Robert posted back in 2023.
Between Robert’s declining offense and high salary, it could be difficult for the White Sox to find takers on the outfielder this summer. Perhaps that’s why the Sox are reportedly willing to include cash alongside Robert in order to facilitate getting a deal done. Robert is due around $7.5MM for the remainder of this season, but if the White Sox were willing to pay a significant amount of that down it might be easier for them to work out a trade.
After all, Robert’s offensive potential is still immense even amid his recent stretch of injuries and ineffectiveness, and even if he doesn’t reach that ceiling adding a plus defensive center fielder with speed to the lineup could be valuable for a team like the Guardians or Braves that has struggled to find production in center field this year. Robert is also still hitting a robust .268/.406/.464 against left-handed pitching this year, so perhaps a team like the Rangers or Giants that struggles against southpaws could have interest in bringing him into the fold as well.
All of this, of course, will hinge on Robert returning in relatively short order with enough time to prove himself reasonably healthy and effective before the trade deadline. Even mild hamstring strains can often require at least a couple of weeks of recovery, and if Robert isn’t ready to go by the time the White Sox come back from the All-Star break that could leave the club in a bit of a bind as they try to get what they can for the former All-Star. In the meantime, they’ll continue turning to Michael A. Taylor to cover center field while Robert recovers.
AL Central Notes: Arias, Carpenter, Cannon
Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias had to be carted off the field with a left ankle sprain during today’s 7-0 loss to the Cardinals. In the third inning, Arias jammed his left foot while sliding to try and gather a Masyn Winn grounder that went for a single, and Arias needed immediate treatment from the club’s training staff in the aftermath. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt told MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins and other reporters that Arias will undergo an MRI tomorrow, though the good news is that initial x-rays were negative.
More will be known about Arias’ status tomorrow, but it seems like a placement on the 10-day injured list is inevitable prior to the Guardians’ next game on Tuesday. Now in his fourth MLB season, Arias began 2025 in a second base timeshare with Daniel Schneemann, and then assumed starting shortstop duties in mid-May. Arias has +3 Outs Above Average and +3 Defensive Runs Saved over 424 1/3 innings at short this year, helping the Guards with his glove even if he is hitting only .231/.293/.369 over 281 plate appearances. As Stebbins notes, former starting shortstop Brayan Rocchio will probably be called up from Triple-A to handle shortstop in Arias’ absence.
Here’s some more from around the AL Central…
- Speaking of MRIs, Kerry Carpenter will also receive a scan tomorrow after he had to make an early exit from the Tigers‘ 3-0 win over the Twins tonight. Carpenter was removed from the game with right hamstring discomfort after hitting a triple in the fifth inning, though he told reporters (including MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery) that his hamstring started to act up earlier in the game when he was playing right field. Detroit doesn’t play Monday so Carpenter will have a built-in day off to heal up, though a trip to the injured list might be a wise idea since Carpenter has been dealing with hamstring soreness for much of the season. Carpenter has a 116 wRC+ and 16 home runs over 280 PA, but his .257/.285/.494 slash line reveals a severe dropoff in his on-base numbers, as Carpenter’s 2.5% walk rate is among the lowest in baseball.
- The White Sox activated Jonathan Cannon from the 15-day injured list today, and the right-hander allowed a run on three hits and three walks (with four strikeouts) over three innings of a start in Chicago’s 5-2 over the Giants today. Cannon missed just short of four weeks dealing with a lower back strain, and he now has a 4.59 ERA over 13 appearances (11 starts) and 66 2/3 innings this season. A third-round pick for the Sox in the 2022 draft, Cannon made his Major League in 2024 and figures to be part of Chicago’s rotation for the rest of the season as the rebuilding White Sox figure out their future rotation. Right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move for Cannon’s activation.
Twins Designate Jonah Bride For Assignment
Following the Twins’ 3-0 loss to the Tigers tonight, Minnesota announced that infielder Jonah Bride has been designated for assignment. No corresponding move has been made yet, but several members of the Twins beat speculated that Royce Lewis will be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to the team’s next game on Tuesday in Miami.
By coincidence, Bride came to the Twins from Miami in a trade back in April. This is the third time Bride has been designated in his career, and the previous two DFAs resulted in trades — from the A’s to the Marlins in February 2024, and then the swap that brought Bride to the Twin Cities.
Multiple injuries around the Twins’ infield created the need for Bride’s versatility, and he ended up appearing in 33 games with Minnesota mostly at third base, but with a few cameos as a first baseman, second baseman, and even four outings as a mop-up pitcher in blowouts. While Bride hit better with Minnesota than he did in Miami, he still has only a .170/.248/.188 slash line over 125 total plate appearances with both clubs in 2025.
A veteran of four big league seasons, Bride seemed to have a bit of a breakout with the Marlins in 2024, hitting .276/.357/.461 over 272 PA. It could be that rebuilding Miami never saw the 29-year-old Bride as more than a stopgap, however, and Bride’s lack of minor league options also reduced his flexibility in terms of roster shuffles.
That out-of-options status is why the Marlins and now the Twins have had to designate Bride and expose him to waivers before attempting to send him to the minors and outright him off their 40-man rosters. Bride doesn’t have a past outright on his record or the necessary MLB service time to reject an outright assignment, should he clear waivers this time and the Twins move him to Triple-A.
Giants Sign Austin Barnes To Minor League Deal
The Giants have signed catcher Austin Barnes to a minor league deal, as per Barnes’ MLB.com profile page (hat tip to FanSided’s Jeff Young). Barnes has been assigned not to Triple-A but to the Giants’ Arizona Complex League team, likely for a ramp-up period before heading to a higher affiliate.
The backstop’s 11-season run with the Dodgers ended when Los Angeles released Barnes back in May. Should Barnes make the Giants’ roster, San Francisco will owe him only the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary, and the Dodgers will be on the hook for the remainder of the $3.5MM salary Barnes was owed for the 2025 season.
San Francisco president of baseball operations Buster Posey knows a thing or two about catching, so the idea of adding another respected veteran to the team’s catching ranks behind the plate probably held some particular appeal for the Giants, especially at virtually no cost. Adding a former longtime member of the Giants’ arch-rival might also provide an added bonus if Barnes can share a few secrets from his long stint in Dodger Blue.
Starting catcher Patrick Bailey is an elite defender who has struggled badly with the bat this season, and Andrew Knizner has provided even less offense since his contract was selected to the big league roster earlier this month. Sam Huff and Logan Porter provided little in limited duty this season, and Porter remains on the Giants’ 40-man roster while Huff was outrighted following a DFA earlier this month. Max Stassi, Huff, and now Barnes are experienced catchers in the minor league pipeline that the Giants would have to add to the 40-man in order to bring them up to the Major League roster.
Barnes would likely not bring much in the way of offense himself, as the 35-year-old has a career slash line of .223/.322/.338 over 1757 career plate appearances in the Show. Barnes’ numbers dipped to just a .518 OPS over 44 PA this season when the Dodgers opted to designate and then release Barnes to make way for top prospect Dalton Rushing as Will Smith‘s new backup.
While Barnes has had his share of moments at the plate over the years, he has carved out his long career as a defensive specialist. Long regarded as a strong blocker, pitch-framer, and handler of pitchers, Barnes unofficially acted as Clayton Kershaw‘s personal catcher for years, even when such catchers as Smith or Yasmani Grandal were the established starters in L.A.
Assuming he is selected to the Giants active roster in due course, Barnes will go from working with Kershaw to another future Hall-of-Famer in Justin Verlander, not to mention ace Logan Webb and former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray. Barnes’ veteran knowhow might also be helpful in mentoring younger rotation arms like Hayden Birdsong and Landen Roupp, who have been tasked with greater responsibility in pitching key innings for a Giants team that is trying to contend for the playoffs.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
- Beads, bees, stew preparation, and maybe even some baseball discussion….we’ve got it all here in the latest edition of the Weekend Chat!
ChrisMC88
- What should the mets prioritize more at this point, pitching or offense.. both need attention.. or even maybe look deeper into their hitting coaches.
Mark P
- Things have looked rough in general for the Mets over the last couple of weeks, but their rotation is still the bigger need than their lineup. I expect the front office to pursue help in both areas, but it seems like the patchwork that has been the Mets’ rotation is simply starting to fray
Brian
- Do u think Crawford(Phillies prospect) has better change to play for Phillies or be traded by deadline this year???
Mark P
- Seems like a better chance that he’ll stick with the Phillies, since they need OF help already.
John
- Is there a world there the orioles don’t sell?
Mark P
- Because baseball is baseball, the O’s could turn around and win 11 of their next 13 games and nobody would bat an eye.
That being said, it would take an extreme hot stretch like that in July to get the O’s fully back into the playoff picture. Feels like they just dug themselves into too big a hole too early.
Astros Interested In Cedric Mullins
Astros general manager Dana Brown has been open about his desire to add some left-handed hitting to Houston’s predominantly righty-swinging lineup, and it isn’t any surprise that the club reportedly has some interest in a player who may be one of the deadline’s most intriguing rental bats. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Astros have “eyes on Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins,” but didn’t elaborate as to whether or not Houston is just considering Mullins at this point, or if any exploratory talks have taken place between the Astros and Orioles front offices.
The 30-year-old Mullins is hitting .213/.295/.413 with 12 homers over 272 plate appearances this season, translating to an almost exactly average 101 wRC+. Much of his success came in the first four weeks, as Mullins had an outstanding .983 OPS over his first 111 plate appearances of 2025, but he then sputtered to a .161/.197/.329 slash line (for a .526 OPS) in his next 158 trips to the plate. He also had a minimal stint on the 10-day IL due to a hamstring strain right at the end of May and into the start of June, but Mullins’ fortunes didn’t improve after returning to action.
Apart from his respectable whiff and walk rates, Mullins’ Statcast numbers are otherwise a sea of blue, speaking to his struggles over the last two months. His 25.7% strikeout rate is particularly troublesome, as it is easily the highest of his eight MLB seasons. Mullins’ 55.4% fly ball rate is also a career high and his .202 Isolated Power number is the second-highest of his career, so while his apparent change in approach to seek out more power is keeping his wRC+ afloat, it is hampering his overall productivity at the plate.
With a modest career 107 wRC+ entering 2025, Mullins’ value has only been partially tied to his bat. He stole 115 bases in 143 attempts in 2021-24, though Mullins is only 8-for-10 so far in 2025. Public defensive metrics have generally been mixed on his center field glovework, and this season has had one of the biggest splits of opinion yet — the Outs Above Aveerage metrics puts Mullins at +1 for his 550 1/3 innings in center, while Defensive Runs Saved has him at a dismal -15.
Since Jake Meyers is one of the game’s better defensive center fielders, the Astros almost certainly wouldn’t be using Mullins up the middle anyway. Rookie Cam Smith has made a very solid accounting for himself in his first MLB season, so left field would be the likeliest landing spot if Mullins did indeed end up in Houston. The chain reaction here would probably send Jose Altuve back to his old second base spot on a full-time basis, as Altuve’s glove hasn’t adjusted well to the move to left field this season.
About half of Mullins’ $8.725MM salary for the season has already been paid out, and he’d have about $2.8MM remaining if dealt directly on the July 31 deadline day. It is an open secret that Houston is trying to stay under the $241MM luxury tax threshold, so adding Mullins’ relatively modest salary would still be a fit even within the team’s relatively narrow financial window. RosterResource projects the Astros’ current tax number at around $235.5MM, which gives the club some (but not much) space for deadline additions.
Mullins’ low salary will likely get him attention from several teams heading into the deadline, even despite his unimpressive numbers over the last two months. Multiple clubs could be looking at his past track record rather than his most immediate results, and the “change of scenery” factor might also come into play.
It stands to reason that the Astros may wait until later into July to pull the trigger on any big deals, as the team might want more clarity on the status of Yordan Alvarez and other injured players before deciding on any lineup upgrades. Alvarez has missed almost two months due to a hand injury that was eventually diagnosed as a fracture, but manager Joe Espada told reporters (including The Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara) that Alvarez will be facing live pitching at the Astros’ minor league facility this week. Outfielder Chas McCormick will also join Alvarez in the assignment, as McCormick has missed the last month recovering from an oblique strain.
The Orioles’ win over the Rays today boosted their record to 36-47, and Baltimore has now gone 21-19 since Tony Mansolino took over from Brandon Hyde as manager. GM Mike Elias took a candid assessment of his club’s situation in comments with reporters yesterday, and said that the Orioles are preparing at the moment to be both buyers and sellers, and a clearer decision will be made as July develops.
This could mean that Mullins and other impending free agents will be natural trade candidates in the lead-up to July 31. Even if the O’s do manage to claw their way back into the pennant race, Mullins might still get moved in order to address another roster need, akin to how Baltimore dealt Austin Hays (also in his last year of team control) to the Phillies prior to last year’s deadline. Mullins’ struggles haven’t done much to help his trade value, of course, nor his chances of landing a solid multi-year contract as a free agent this winter.
Masataka Yoshida To Begin Triple-A Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Masataka Yoshida‘s long road to recovery from shoulder surgery looks to be in its final stages, as the outfielder is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed the news to reporters (including the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham) today, after heavily hinting yesterday that Yoshida was nearing a minor league assignment.
The Sox coaching staff got a first-hand look on Yoshida on Friday when he worked out at Fenway Park, taking batting practice and taking part in outfield drills. As per Cora, Yoshida will indeed be playing in the outfield as well as serving as a DH in Worcester, likely with his shoulder health factoring into how often Yoshida will be used on the grass.
Yoshida’s shoulder bothered him throughout much of the 2024 season, resulting in just a single inning of outfield work with Boston last season as he was otherwise a bat-only player. An October surgery to repair Yoshida’s right labrum has now hopefully corrected the issue for good, even if the recovery process has taken much longer than expected. The initial thought was that Yoshida would be available for Opening Day, though since he was able to hit during Spring Training games but not throw, he was began the season on the 10-day injured list to allow more time to fully ramp up.
As it turned out, Yoshida has now missed over half of the Major League season. He received treatment for a minor back issue at the end of Spring Training, and some renewed soreness in his shoulder led to a cortisone shot and a brief shutdown period from throwing in May. The Red Sox shifted Yoshida to the 60-day IL near the end of May, though that didn’t change his activation status, as the 60-day window was still linked to the start of his initial placement on the 10-day.
It remains to be seen how long Yoshida’s rehab assignment will run. Yoshida told reporters Friday that he hopes to be activated before the All-Star break, while Cora just said “we’ll see how many at-bats he needs. He’s moving well; his swing feels great.”
Now in his third season of a five-year, $90MM deal, Yoshida has hit .285/.343/.433 with 25 home runs over 1001 plate appearances in a Red Sox uniform. Those numbers break down as a .810 OPS against right-handed pitching and a .669 OPS in 252 PA against southpaws, as the left-handed hitting Yoshida has largely been used in platoon situations. Between his subpar left field defense in 2023 and his almost non-existent time in the field in 2024, Yoshida was essentially limited to being a part-time DH.
It made for an uneasy situation from a roster construction standpoint, and certainly less than what was expected from his hefty contract (which was signed by now-ex Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom). Since Craig Breslow took over as the CBO following the 2023 campaign, there has been some trade speculation surrounding Yoshida in each of the last two offseasons, with the thinking being that that Red Sox would love to rid themselves of the outfielder’s contract.
As always, the perspective will change if Yoshida can start hitting, and even duplicating his solid-if-unspectacular numbers from 2023-24 would help the Boston offense. The Rafael Devers trade and Triston Casas‘ season-ending knee surgery have opened things up for Yoshida in the lineup, even if it still looks like he’ll be spending most of his time at DH. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and star prospect Roman Anthony will all likely be prioritized ahead of Yoshida for outfield work, regardless of his shoulder health.