Triston Casas once looked like a foundational piece of the Boston Red Sox's future. He now finds himself fighting to prove that he still belongs. In 2023, his .263/.367/.490 line with 23 homers made him look like the power bat at first base that the club has craved. Since then, it has been one injury after another.
The brutal patellar tendon rupture he suffered in his left knee last May ensured he'd be unavailable for most of yet another season, but it was the .182/.277/.303 line that really began to put his future in doubt. The 26-year-old plays a non-premium position, but does so so poorly that if he's not hitting at a high level than he has little-to-no value.
If the injuries and on-field performance weren't enough cause for concern, then it's Casas' lightning-rod personality that might have him hurried out the door. Last spring, Casas decided to insert himself into the middle of the drama between the Red Sox, Rafael Devers, and Alex Bregman. He didn't need to do it, and the result of his action only served to further inflame tensions.
Those tendencies have gotten under fans' skin at times, and now Casas is back again with another gesture that only served to aggravate the Fenway faithful.
Triston Casas' appearance at Red Sox spring training only served to aggravate fans
Obviously this is Triston Casas’s personality, and yeah, we get it he likes attention. But this is the stuff that gets people mad. You haven’t done much the past couple years because you’ve been hurt. Bad luck, sure. But just go into camp, put the hat on, grab a bat, and get to… https://t.co/UJPFIb93kV
— Sox & Swing (@SoxandSwing) February 10, 2026
Casas enters the spring with a lot to prove. Right now, he seems to be the odd man out with the newly acquired Willson Contreras expected to take over first base duties, and the more expensive Masataka Yoshida ahead of him on the DH depth chart. Add in the unresolved outfield logjam causing more spillover into the DH equation, and it's tough to see where the 2018 first-round pick fits.
Credit where credit is due, the Sox don't kick off full-squad workouts until February 15, but Casas was down in Fort Myers early. His appearance on February 10 drew the ire of fans, however.
Casas showed up on the field sporting a red Supreme balaclava-type ski mask. In Florida. In 80-degree, humidity-stricken heat. The getup would have been understandable in Boston, but in the Sunshine State, the headwear was not only ridiculous but likely uncomfortable. The fans had some feelings about the stunt.
Some even called it out as a blatant cry for attention.
I had a very similar take. Most of the previous stuff he’s done hasn’t bothered me, but this is just a 1000% cry for attention.
— Jon Baumstark (NYSoxFan) (@JonathanBaumst4) February 11, 2026
Grow up, Triston.
There are three potential options for the Red Sox with Casas. They could trade him now, but they'd only be getting pennies on the dollar. They could send him down to Worcester until he's actually needed, if ever. They could also try to shoehorn at-bats for him between first and DH, though that will be tight.
The best-case scenario is that he has a good couple of weeks of spring training and another club gets desperate enough for a power-hitting first baseman that Boston can swing a deal. That would require a few things to break right, so this all might just come down to when or if the Red Sox believe the distractions aren't worth his contributions anymore.