The future of Masataka Yoshida is quickly becoming one of the most awkward storylines of the Boston Red Sox’s 2025 season.
Since it became clear that the Red Sox plan to have Alex Bregman play third base and move Rafael Devers to designated hitter, Yoshida has found himself without a clear role. He played just one inning in the outfield last season, and now, he’ll need to prove himself as an outfielder to even secure limited playing time.
To make things more complicated, Yoshida underwent labrum surgery during the offseason, which has left him unable to play defense since he can only throw up to 90 feet. As a result, despite showcasing his offensive abilities during spring training, including a home run against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, Yoshida will almost certainly begin the season on the injured list.
It’s not groundbreaking to suggest that the Red Sox would probably trade Yoshida if they could, but as MassLive insider Sean McAdam pointed out in his column on Friday, this is a much more difficult task than Boston would prefer.
“It seems obvious that the best path would be a trade elsewhere, but even that is a less-than-perfect solution from Boston’s perspective,” McAdam wrote. “First, coming off surgery, Yoshida’s value has never been lower. He’s viewed as someone with one skill set—the ability to make contact with the ball. He has little power, doesn’t run well, and is subpar defensively.
To facilitate a trade, the Red Sox would likely have to absorb a significant portion of his remaining $54 million in salary.”
McAdam went on to outline two even bleaker possible outcomes for Yoshida: the Red Sox swallowing his full salary and releasing him, or sending him to Triple-A, similar to what they did with another pricey international signing, outfielder Rusney Castillo.
At 31, Yoshida hasn’t quite lived up to the $90 million contract handed to him by the previous Red Sox front office, but he has still had some notable moments. He’s also been an above-average major league hitter overall (with a career OPS+ of 111) and has become a fan favorite thanks to his positive personality off the field.
A fresh start for Yoshida seems to be the best outcome for everyone involved, but it would require another team to take a chance, even if the Red Sox are covering much of the cost.