BOSTON -- When the Red Sox acquired veteran first baseman Willson Contreras and his valuable right-handed bat three days before Christmas, it left the role of Triston Casas -- once thought to be a core part of the team going forward -- in limbo.
As recently as 2023, Casas was one of the players the club was most excited about. After a slow start that season, Casas was such a force down the stretch that he finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Heading into ‘24, visions of a 35-to-40-homer season seemed realistic -- until Casas tore cartilage in his right ribcage on a fateful swing in Pittsburgh on April 20. His next at-bat was nearly four months later.
But after a healthy offseason, Casas compelled manager Alex Cora to pencil him in as the cleanup hitter in 2025. First came a rough start -- .182/.277/.303, three homers, 11 RBIs in 29 games -- and that 29th game was the abrupt finish to his season, as Casas ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee on May 2.
It was telling that in the team’s season-ending press conference, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow didn’t commit to Casas as the club’s likely starting first baseman in ‘26.
And with Contreras now at the top of the first-base depth chart, it is unclear what circumstances will allow Casas to show what he’s capable of doing.
Here are some scenarios.
Re-acclimate at Triple-A
One overlooked thing about Casas is that he still has Minor League options, which makes it easier to keep him in the organization as he regains his timing and his health.
How about a scenario in which Casas starts the season at Triple-A Worcester and gets an ample amount of at-bats to make up for the time missed last year?
This not only helps Casas stay fresh but allows potential trade suitors an avenue for scouting him on a regular basis.
In addition, with Casas just a short drive away in Worcester, he serves as injury protection for the Red Sox at first base and DH.
Rotate at DH/1B
I think everyone will agree that Casas doesn’t work as a bench player, in large part because he only plays one defensive position and he doesn’t have the type of swing that seems suited for long bouts of inactivity.
What about a rotation system in which Contreras gets the bulk of the at-bats at first base but occasionally slots in at DH, giving Casas a chance to play the field? In that scenario, Casas would be the club’s primary DH.
However, there are a couple of issues with that. The Red Sox already have a logjam in the outfield with four starting-caliber players in Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu. There has been a lot of talk about Cora rotating those players through the DH spot so they can all get enough playing time. Casas serving as Boston’s primary DH is probably only feasible if one of the outfielders is dealt to fill another need on the club.
In addition, Masataka Yoshida remains signed for two more seasons, and the bulk of his at-bats would probably be at DH. Yoshida would likely also need to be moved to another organization in order for Casas to play a significant role.
“It's no secret that Triston has tremendous potential but also hasn't been able to stay on the field the last couple of years, thanks to two really unfortunate but significant injuries,” said Breslow. “I had a chance to talk to Triston [after the trade for Contreras], and what I told him is exactly what I'll share with all of you, which is we still have a ton of confidence and belief in Triston.
“What he needs to do is commit to doing everything possible to get back on the field. He's doing that right now. He feels really good with the progress, and there's going to be an opportunity for him to impact games for us. Exactly what that looks like, we'll figure out. But he was great in our conversation and understood that this was an opportunity for the organization to take a step forward and fully supported it.”
Trade Casas
Casas, who turns 26 on Jan. 15, still has plenty of time to boost his stock back up. But to do so, he might need to go somewhere there is a clearer path for playing time.
Though a trade of Casas this offseason would represent moving him at a time his value is down, he could be a useful part of a package that would help the Red Sox fill another area.
It seems more likely the Sox will get Casas his share of at-bats in Spring Training, at which point other clubs can assess his progress. That, of course, would rely on Casas being fully recovered from his injury and healthy enough to play in Grapefruit League games.
Despite his recent spate of injuries, Casas has the type of raw power many teams covet.