As the Boston Red Sox fall farther out of Wild Card contention and the offseason begins to come into view, the team's deficiencies become more apparent.
Boston's lack of offense has been a repeated topic of conversation, and its need for a powerful, right-handed bat has been established. In his Sept. 13 article about the Sox's offseason needs, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal referred to their lineup as "too young and too left-handed."
Rosenthal suggests that the Red Sox add Alex Bregman this winter to remedy their extreme left-handedness. The veteran corner infielder is an impending free agent after nine seasons with the Astros. Boston has Rafael Devers and Triston Casas holding down the fort in the corners, but Rosenthal advised the Sox to trade Casas to fit Bregman into their future plans.
Bregman is a career .272/.365/.481 hitter, two-time All-Star and four-time American League MVP nominee. The 30-year-old is also one of the best defensive third basemen in the game and he touts six outs above average at the hot corner, good for a 91st-percentile range, according to Baseball Savant.
Casas posted an outstanding second half of the 2023 season that earned him Rookie of the Year consideration, even after a rough first half. He spent nearly four months on the injured list rehabbing a rib cartilage injury and he hasn't bounced back perfectly — Boston hasn't yet seen if his tear in the second half of 2023 was a fluke.
Ken Rosenthal proposes Red Sox trade Triston Casas to sign Alex Bregman this offseason
Sign Bregman? Trade Casas? The Red Sox need to get busy this offseason. Column: https://t.co/hdJ9LOHEog
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 13, 2024
Before his 60-day IL stint, Casas showed flashes of his previous season's success and more. He slashed .286/.384/.619 with six homers and nine RBI through 18 games in April. Casas' defense has also improved and he's shown increased athleticism on the field.
The Red Sox have taken steps toward embracing Casas as the first baseman of the future. He's expected to be one of the stars of the upcoming Netflix documentary profiling the team and there were reports of extension discussions between Casas' agents and Boston's front office at the beginning of the season.
Bregman will likely be quite an expensive addition to any team, and the Red Sox haven't recently been inclined to spend on top-tier free agents. The veteran's offensive stats have notably declined in the last few seasons, and consistent offensive production has been one of Boston's biggest issues during its late-season stretch. Casas hasn't necessarily answered the call on offense either, but given that his rib muscles separated from his body this season, he deserves some grace.
Trading Casas likely isn't in the Red Sox's offseason plan, and it shouldn't be. The 24-year-old slashed .263/.367/.490 with a .857 OPS and 24 homers in his only full season in the big leagues, and he seemed primed to continue that level of success at the beginning of the 2024 slate. His power swing and keen eye will lengthen the Sox's lineup and help mitigate some of their strikeout issues when he's had time to fully bounce back from his injury. Now is not the time to give up on Casas.