The Boston Red Sox are expected to be active on the trade market this offseason, and they're rumored to be pursuing Pete Alonso as an upgrade at first base. Both of these paths to improvement could affect Triston Casas.
The homegrown first baseman didn't have the 2025 season he hoped for after rupturing a patellar tendon in early May. It didn't take long for Casas to appear in trade rumors this offseason, despite his perceived value being lower than ever.
Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe wrote that some teams around the league believe the Red Sox could move on from Casas this winter (subscription required). Boston manager Alex Cora appeared on the "Foul Territory" podcast a few days later, and his response to a Casas question didn't do much to mitigate trade speculation.
"We gotta get him healthy man. I think Triston is a big part of what we're trying to accomplish, but we gotta get him healthy," Cora said.
It's notable enough that podcast host A. J. Pierzynski asked whether Casas or Alonso would be the starting first baseman on Opening Day and Cora dodged the question entirely. The skipper noted that the Red Sox aren't giving up on him, but they seem to have no real plan for where he'll play if they land Alonso.
Alex Cora's response to Triston Casas question doesn't do much to mitigate Red Sox trade rumors
Craig Breslow refused to commit to Casas as the Sox's Opening Day first baseman, and probably for more than one reason. Boston is pursuing at least two sluggers to join the lineup, and one of them is a first baseman. Casas' injury recovery timeline isn't yet clear. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic described Casas' recovery from knee surgery as "complicated," although he chugged along with no setbacks as of October 23 (subscription required).
A ruptured patellar tendon is a severe knee injury, and Breslow has hesitated to put a timeline on Casas' recovery. The 25-year-old will live in Fort Myers this offseason for rehab and he hopes to be ready to play by spring training, but Breslow didn't say whether he believes that timeline is realistic.
Casas' trade value is at an all-time low after he posted just 92 games in the last two seasons combined due to two severe injuries. Other teams may be able to see his potential — on "Foul Territory," Cora noted that Casas could still slug 30 homers in a season, and he's three years removed from a top-three finish in the American League Rookie of the Year race.
Casas' future in a Red Sox uniform appears complicated now, especially with the news of their pursuit of Alonso. Boston needs power in the lineup, and Casas could provide it if he can stay healthy. If the Red Sox trade him this year after his value has crashed and he goes on to slug 30-40 home runs for another team, it would be a huge loss since they will have gotten an underwhelming return and missed out on the jolt of power they desperately need.
It could ultimately be Boston's pursuit of Alonso that determines whether or not Casas is traded. The Red Sox like to keep their designated hitter spot flexible, so moving Alonso or Casas there full time (not to mention Masataka Yoshida's need for the reps) doesn't align with Cora's strategy.