Much of Red Sox Nation breathed a collective sigh of relief when chief baseball officer Craig Breslow revealed that the organization is not actively searching for a trade partner for up-and-coming first baseman Triston Casas.
“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," Breslow said.
However, the team's offseason pursuits do not suggest Casas is safe in his current spot on the Sox's roster. Boston's ultimate priority for the rest of the offseason will be adding a right-handed bat, and as the free agent options dwindle, the trade market may be the only way for it to add the righty pop it desperately needs.
Rumors that the Red Sox have been active in the trade market have been widespread for much of the offseason, even after the team's blockbuster acquisition of Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported on Jan. 5 that many people in the industry believe Casas is still available in trade discussions.
Red Sox insider believes Triston Casas trade is still on the table despite Craig Brelsow's recent comments
Boston is not looking to move Casas specifically, but it appears to be open to trading him in the right deal, particularly for pitching. After the Crochet trade, reports surfaced that the Mariners declined a trade for Casas in exchange for a pitcher — Cotillo's report suggests the Red Sox would still be open to making such a deal.
Third baseman Nolan Arenado has named Boston a top potential trade destination for which he'd waive the no-trade clause in his contract. If the Red Sox acquired him, it'd jeopardize Rafael Devers's future at third base and, therefore, do the same for Casas at first. With Masataka Yoshida in the team's designated hitter slot, moving Casas or Devers there after a trade for Arenado wouldn't be easy.
Casas will be 25 in January and has years of team control remaining on his contract, making him an ideal trade target for teams in the market for a slugger. But Breslow admitted in his Dec. 30 presser that Boston still hasn't seen the best of the first baseman due to his injury history.
Not only is Casas' trade value at an all-time low this offseason, but trading him seems like an overwhelmingly unpopular idea among Sox fans. If Boston believes Casas has 30-40 homer potential, it should give him at least one more season to show it. Yes, he's left-handed in a lineup loaded with lefties, but his potential shouldn't be squandered to add an aging infielder with a stalling bat.