The Boston Red Sox have extended two of their young players this year, likely to establish a backbone for the young core that is approaching MLB readiness.
Brayan Bello and Ceddanne Rafaela signed long-term deals with the Red Sox over the last couple months. The contracts have many fans wondering what the status of a potential extension for Triston Casas may be.
Casas has expressed interest in playing in Boston "forever," but he's also said that he does not plan to take part in any of the negotiations himself. He has faith that his agents know his value as a player and that he can increase it by posting another quality season.
He's already well on his way there. The first baseman started the season slower than many Sox fans hoped, but he's finding his way at the plate as he gets more playing time. In 18 games, Casas is batting .246/.342/.507 with five homers and three doubles. His defense has also greatly improved and he's made a few stellar plays at first base.
Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy may have revealed some frustration with Triston Casas' extension negotiations
Red Sox Nation is hungry for an extension for Casas, but recent comments from the front office suggest that may take a while. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow admitted that there are no other negotiations nearing completion after Rafaela's deal.
Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy may have shed some more light on Breslow's statements. On the Greg Hill Show's Opening Day episode, Kennedy sat down with the hosts in the Cask 'N' Flagon as Red Sox fans flowed into Fenway Park outside. He reiterated that the front office is seeking extensions for players who can thrive in the Boston sports market and name-dropped Bello, Rafaela and Garrett Whitlock.
Sam Kennedy and the Red Sox Font Office want it to be known that they're in the business of signing players that want to be here...
— The Gresh & Fauria Show (@GreshFauriaWEEI) April 9, 2024
Think he was tossing some shade?👀 pic.twitter.com/VJJjYfXiTY
"You want players who want to be here," Kennedy said.
Casas' name did not come up in the extension conversation despite his assertion that he would like to be a Red Sox for life. But Casas' agents seem in no rush to get an extension done for him, possibly because the front office has been making lowball offers, as Red Sox fans know the team to do. Xander Bogaerts, a 10-year veteran of the club, admitted that the extension offer that Boston made him felt like "a slap," so it would come as no surprise if the front office has been trying to cut corners with Casas.
If Casas' refusal to accept an extension offer that doesn't favor him tells the front office that he doesn't want to play in Boston, their priorities are even more twisted than Red Sox Nation already thought. The Red Sox are one of the most valuable teams in the league with an incredibly wealthy owner and they can afford any single player in the league — yes, even Shohei Ohtani if they wanted him badly enough.
Casas has a lot of fans in the city of Boston and beyond. He has the skill and personality to thrive in a demanding sports market, and if the front office wants the Red Sox to succeed as much as it says it does, the men in charge need to be willing to shell out for players like Casas.