The Red Sox have a logjam in the outfield, and Masataka Yoshida might be the odd man out when he returns to the lineup.
Yoshida spent most of last season as Boston’s designated hitter, but that role now belongs to Rafael Devers. This forces Yoshida to compete for outfield playing time, where he’s already facing an uphill battle.
The 30-year-old Japanese slugger isn’t known for his glove work, and Boston’s outfield is already packed with Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder. Top prospect Roman Anthony is also expected to claim a spot soon. That’s where a potential trade comes in.
FanSided’s Katrina Stebbins suggests the Detroit Tigers as a logical landing spot for Yoshida.
“Adding Yoshida would be a little like adding another Kerry Carpenter,” wrote Stebbins. “They’re both lefties who can mash righties, but don’t really hit against fellow lefties, have recent histories of injury, and have been subpar on defense, leading their clubs to prefer using them more in a DH role. Still, Carpenter’s only gotten one start as DH this season, and has been an at-least-average defender.
“If the Tigers were willing to roll with the punches and move Riley Greene to center more often, Carpenter and Yoshida could post up at the corners,” Stebbins continued. “The team would be gambling by sacrificing defense in the name of offensive possibilities, not assurances, but Yoshida is at least guaranteed to add a lot more to the Tigers’ lineup than (Ryan) Kreidler.”
Yoshida hasn’t quite lived up to his five-year, $90 million contract so far. He’s hit just 25 home runs in two MLB seasons after consistently posting 20+ homer campaigns in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league.
A change of scenery might be what Yoshida needs to rediscover his power stroke. What’s clear is that the Red Sox can’t afford to keep a $90 million player riding the bench, and with their current outfield configuration, that’s exactly where he might end up.
