The Boston Red Sox's surplus of lefty hitters is one of the biggest issues the team needs to remedy before next season.
Many of the Sox's southpaws have become fixtures of trade rumors before the offseason officially began. Masataka Yoshida is popular in many rumors — his two lackluster seasons in Boston and his inflexible skillset complicate his position in its lineup. But the designated hitter underwent shoulder surgery on Oct. 3 that is expected to take the entire offseason to heal, which could slash his trade value that was already on the low end.
Former Red Sox and Boston radio personality Lou Merloni recently encouraged fans to look at the team's options. The Sox still have many lefty hitters they could trade and many potential uses for Yoshida.
Among Boston's other big priorities is signing or trading for an elite starting pitcher and right-handed power bats, and many of its capable lefty bats could become a piece in such deals. Triston Casas, Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran have all been floated as trade candidates to land top-tier talent. If any one of them is moved this winter, Yoshida's consistent lefty bat could once again become critical to the Sox's offensive success.
Is there a scenario where the Red Sox need Yoshida’s bat in the lineup??? There may be. #WalkTheDog pic.twitter.com/p6uxcawbln
— Lou Merloni (@LouMerloni) October 17, 2024
Lou Merloni highlights multiple Red Sox uses for Masataka Yoshida if he isn't traded this offseason
Merloni cited a Ken Rosenthal article posted by The Athletic on Sept. 13. In it, the MLB insider suggested the Sox could trade Casas and move Rafael Devers to first base to bring in another righty infielder like Alex Bregman or Willy Adames. If such a deal were to occur, Yoshida would become the sole lefty known for his keen eye and low strikeout numbers in the lineup. Merloni is correct that the Red Sox's DH should be a right-hander, but a team that fanned 1,570 times in the 2024 season — third-most in MLB — could benefit from Yoshida's 97th-percentile strikeout rate in the lineup.
It's also possible the Sox try to move multiple lefties this winter, as their farm system has even more southpaws waiting in the wings. If Boston ships multiple of its left-handed hitters elsewhere, Yoshida could become critical to maintaining balance in the batting order.
Yoshida's lowered trade value isn't the end of the world for the Red Sox's offseason plans. There are plenty of other lefties they can trade and they have one of the wealthiest owners in MLB, who can afford to make big changes without trades (he hasn't in recent years, but the point still stands.) Boston could also afford to eat some of Yoshida's contract to trade him and increase flexibility in the lineup, which seems like an unlikely option for now. But even if Yoshida needs to stay around for the 2025 season, his skillset can still serve the Red Sox well in the ways Merloni mentioned.