Triston Casas was slated for a make-or-break 2026, but unfortunately for the once-promising Boston Red Sox first baseman, it wasn't meant to be. After rupturing his patellar tendon on May 2, 2025, Casas needed a big 2026 to secure his Red Sox future.
Instead, the injuries began piling up again. Casas reportedly entered camp in the best shape of his life. That statement has become an overused cliché at this point, but for the 26-year-old, it was a truth and a testament to his drive to return to the field and resume his ascent.
But then he was delayed in his return by an intercostal strain in April. As he recovered from that and once again tried to work his way back, he developed a wrist issue in July. That wrist issue ultimately required surgery that would end any hope of playing in 2026.
Triston Casas has been shutdown from hitting after a wrist issue popped up, Chad Tracy told @timbhealey.
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) July 6, 2026
From rehabbing the knee injury, to an intercostal strain, and now the wrist. It just never ends. pic.twitter.com/vWGtNAniNC
Casas' 2026 season ended with zero games played at either the major or minor league levels. In the meantime, Willson Contreras has staked his claim to first base. On top of that, while we'd like to see Boston move on from Masataka Yoshida, it's unlikely that the Red Sox will eat the $18-plus million he's owed in 2027, and finding a trade partner will be difficult, meaning that he and others will clog up the DH spot.
Triston Casas is set to be a non-tender casualty as the roster spot is worth more to the Red Sox
One would hope that Boston could rock with Casas in hopes that he can return to his 2023 form when he hit .263/.367/.490 with 24 homers. MLB Trade Rumors projects that he'll make just $1.7 million in 2027, which, in the grand scheme of things, isn't all that much.
However, he hasn't proven that he's worth even that much money. If the Red Sox were to hang on to him and he can get and stay healthy, it's hard to see where he plays. The top priority has to be building a team that can get past the New York Yankees and make a deep playoff run, and it's hard to do that by using up a roster spot on a player who doesn't really have a role.
Not only that, but the writing might be on the wall for Casas in terms of productivity. While he was still decent in 2024, Casas took a noticeable step back and, of course, missed four months due to another ribcage injury.
Even before he got hurt in 2025, he struggled mightily. It was just 29 games, but Casas hit just .182/.277/.303. His trademark power had evaporated, posting a career-low .121 ISO. If that was really who he was after his early-career injuries, it's hard to believe that after another slate of maladies, he'd be any better.
This is the unfortunate reality of the business of baseball. The good feels don't matter; production, availability and money do. Casas is a major question mark on those fronts, so it's time to call it curtains and move on.
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