The Boston Red Sox and their fans hoped for a rebound 2025 season for first baseman Triston Casas after he lost four months of his 2024 campaign to a freak rib injury.
They didn't get so lucky, though. Twenty-nine games into his season, Casas blew out his left patellar tendon as he attempted to dig out a ground ball. Now, Boston is scrambling for a replacement to play first base.
The team has used utility player Romy González and former A's, Astros, and Mariners infielder Abraham Toro as temporary solutions at the corner, but the Sox need something more long-term. Rich Keefe of WEEI's "Jones and Keefe" show proposed a solution that Boston probably won't go for.
"I'm going with Kristian Campbell," Keefe said when asked who should take over at first base. "...If he was your second baseman every single day, then that's one thing, but you're putting him in the outfield, you're moving him around."
WEEI host proposes Red Sox move Kristian Campbell to first base, call up Marcelo Mayer to play second in the wake of Triston Casas' season-ending injury
With Triston Casas done for the season, the #RedSox are left searching for a long-term solution at first base.
— Jones & Keefe (@JonesandKeefe) May 5, 2025
Who should it be?@Keefe21: Kristian Campbell to First, Marcelo Mayer to Second@JonesWEEI: Rafael Devers pic.twitter.com/TGwt2KYRet
Keefe suggests that the Red Sox move Campbell to first base and call Marcelo Mayer up to take up Campbell's previous post at second base. There are a few hiccups with this plan and how it conflicts with Boston's plans for its top prospects, though.
The Red Sox have moved Campbell between second base and the outfield a few times this season, despite his imperfect defense all around. He's never played a single inning of first base in his professional career, and if Boston sees him as its long-term solution at second base, it's unlikely to completely change his development for one season.
The same can be said for Mayer. The Red Sox have billed him as their shortstop of the future in the past few seasons, and although they've started to increase his positional versatility in Triple-A, they're unlikely to call him up as a second baseman. If the Sox do any positional shuffling in the middle infield, they'd move Trevor Story to second base to open Mayer's natural position at shortstop rather than transitioning Mayer to second base full-time.
Campbell's lack of experience at first base makes him an unlikely choice for Casas' job. The Red Sox have more than enough prospect trade chips to snag an experienced first baseman from another team. They could also fill in temporarily as Boston scours the market for other choices — Alex Binelas and Vaughn Grissom, who's played 36.1 innings at the corner this year, come to mind.
The Red Sox have been underwhelming to this point in the season with an 18-18 record despite their offseason additions and the success of top prospects. Casas struggled to live up to expectations offensively this season, and Boston needs someone who can pick up the slack at the plate if it hopes to make the playoffs after three straight misses. An experienced first baseman is the way to go for the Red Sox, and they have more than enough money and prospect capital to find one that meets all their needs.