Red Sox Callup #5: Triston Casas
It’s hard for Red Sox fans not to be on Triston Casas watch this season. While current first baseman Bobby Dalbec has looked completely overmatched all season (.160/.250/.236), we have been getting seemingly daily clips of the big first baseman launching 450ft home runs all over Worcester. It’s been a long time since the Red Sox have had a prospect with Casas’ pedigree, making it difficult for fans to be patient for the #10 overall minor leaguer.
Yet a closer look at Casas’ numbers shows he just isn’t ready for the major leagues. His Triple-A slash line has dropped from .279/.394/.484 last year to .248/.359/.472 this year, and his strikeout rate has increased from 19.1% to 22.4%. In addition, he still isn’t on the 40-man roster and would require another player to be DFA’d before he was called up.
The calls for Casas’ callup have also been quieted with the emergence of Franchy Cordero. The once overlooked big man was called up on April 29 and has slashed .254/319/.413 with top-end exit velocity and sprint speed numbers. He hasn’t been spectacular, but he’s earned a longer look at the big-league level, which means giving Triston Casas a little more time to keep improving down in Worcester.