Is a Red Sox September call to Triston Casas possible?
Red Sox Nation awaits the next few weeks until September arrives and rosters will expand. That expansion will not be what took place in the past as not there will be a limit. Rosters will expand from 26 to 28 players. There is one player that RSN will hopefully put their loving eyes on – Triston Casas.
Casas is the Red Sox number one prospect and number 29 among all baseball’s top prospects. His resume continues to sparkle with his Olympic performance. The massive (6’5″, 252 LBS) left-hand slugger has launched some bombs in Tokyo, and raves have followed. Will it be enough of a driver to get Casas to Boston in September?
Casas has been impressive with his hitting approach if one has faith, as I do, in scouting reports. A slugger with hitting knowledge that transcends just mashing. The first baseman’s Portland (AA) statistics do not jump out – a .271 batting average, six home runs, and .777 OPS. The batting eye is there with an 11.8 BB%, and so is the whiffs at 23.4 K%.
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Is Casas destined for a coveted roster spot, or will he be sent to Worcester (AAA) upon his return stateside? Let’s see what the kid can do.
Much, of course, will depend on Kyle Schwarber and his adjustment to first base. A playoff battle – becoming more realistic each game – could alter roster dynamics. Still – I am locked into Casas getting his shot.
When I saw Casas, a name ran through my mind from the very distant past. A massive and muscular first baseman from the heart of the great hitting Cincinnati teams of the 1950s – Ted Kluszewski. Size and power with the only significant difference are Big Klu was one tough slugger to whiff.
Naturally, Casas has a long way to go to be a rebirth of Klu. Big league pitching has a way of embarrassing top prospects – look at Bobby Dalbec or Lars Anderson. Bringing a player in before they are ready can have professional consequences, but Casas appears to be one not to shatter.
Casas has risen to the occasion the big stage of the Olympics and could be the type of player that responds to their environment. A worthy risk to exercise in September.
The Red Sox may forego a September call-up for Casas and opt to keep the folks in Worcester happy. Polar Park is also becoming a launching pad, and Casas could ring up some Jarren Duran-like inflated numbers. Sometimes long ball numbers come with a tainted asterisk.
If Casas is left off the roster, it will just be a minor career blip. He’ll be in camp next spring, and first base could be his for the taking. If not, Casas will surface in Boston eventually in 2022. Casas is too big to fail.