Shortly after the Boston Red Sox acquired Garrett Crochet, fans were put back on their toes with the emergence of another pitching trade rumor.
During the 2024 Winter Meetings, it was reported that the Red Sox and Seattle Mariners discussed a trade for one of Seattle's pitchers and that Boston's first baseman, Triston Casas, was involved in the proposed deal. Casas is a polarizing figure among Red Sox fans due to his injury history and quirkiness, but much of Red Sox Nation did not want to see the slugger go.
Boston's chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has assured fans that the organization sees Casas as a potential staple in the team's future. He doubled down on those comments in a press conference on Dec. 30.
“I’m not totally sure where it comes from,” Breslow said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “We’re not shopping Triston. We see him as a guy that can hit in the middle of the lineup for a really long time here in Boston."
Craig Breslow confirms Red Sox are not actively shopping Triston Casas
“We’re not shopping Triston [Casas]. We see him as a guy that can hit in the middle of the lineup for a really long time here in Boston.”
— NESN (@NESN) December 30, 2024
Craig Breslow addresses the trade rumors. pic.twitter.com/feQm9nAzck
Despite the plentiful rumors, Breslow went on to say that there was "nothing remotely close" to a deal that would've shipped Casas out of Boston. There are a few reasons why this may be the case besides the plain desire to keep Casas in a Red Sox uniform.
The 24-year-old has played a maximum of 132 games in a single season. He's dealt with injuries throughout his career, including the rib cartilage tear that kept him on the shelf for four months of the 2024 campaign. This offseason, Casas' trade value is arguably the lowest it's ever been.
The Red Sox got a glimpse of what Casas is capable of in a full, healthy season in 2023. He slashed .263/.367/.490 with a .857 OPS — the fifth-highest in the American League that year — and 24 homers in 132 games. In 2024, he mashed 13 homers in 63 games, which is a 33-homer pace for a full season of work.
Breslow mentioned that Casas will have a full, healthy offseason this year to be in top shape for the 2025 season. Hopefully, he can stay healthy to be a huge dose of power for the team and show the Sox they were right to keep him in Boston.