Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas is no stranger to trade rumors.
During this past offseason, Casas often heard his name mentioned in potential deals. Along with the discussion over Boston’s efforts to add offensive pieces such as Alex Bregman to the infield, pundits speculated that such moves would make Casas expendable.
For his part, Casas took all of that talk in stride.
“I feel like that’s part of the business of baseball is checking in on players, seeing what kind of value you can get back,” Casas said at Fenway Fest in mid-January. “You never know what kind of haul you can get for a player or how much another organization values somebody. So it might be in the best interest to move myself or anybody really if there’s a good enough package. So I think checking in and other teams asking about me and whatever, I see it as a positive. Just that maybe somebody else sees value in myself as well.”
Analysts Question Boston’s Long-Term View on Triston Casas
However, with the recent signings of ace starter Garrett Crochet and rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell to extensions, it seems fair to question if Boston sees value in Casas as a long-term answer at first base. The Red Sox did enter this season planning to use the left-hander on an everyday basis, but after playing just 63 games last year because of torn cartilage in his ribcage and slashing .241/.337/.462, the 2018 first round (26th overall) draft pick has gotten off to a slow start, with four hits and one home run in his first 26 at-bats.
“He’ll get there. We know that,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “It’s a process, especially with him. But I would like him to be more aggressive.”
In a 2025 season preview for MassLive, Chris Mason suggested the Red Sox will instead take the aggressive approach, making the bold prediction that “Triston Casas is traded by the end of the calendar year.”
Suggest Trade of Triston Casas Involves Talented but Injured Right-Hander
TJ French of Athlon Sports agrees with that potential outcome, proposing that Boston address its pitching woes by sending Casas to Pittsburgh for hard-throwing right-hander Jared Jones, who went 6-8 in 22 starts for the Pirates last season. Citing the question marks in the back of the Red Sox rotation, French suggests that Jones “would be an ideal option for the Red Sox to improve right now.”
“In his first season in MLB, Jones struck out 132 batters over 121.2 innings and recorded a 4.14 ERA,” French wrote. “He features a strong fastball that can reach the upper 90s and a wipeout slider he throws frequently.
“Boston may be reluctant to move on from Casas, but it could be the right move. Casas is off to a slow start to the 2025 season, but was also off the field for most of 2024 due to injuries.”
However, Jones has been dealing with an arm issue that will keep him from throwing a baseball for another month or so, which would certainly complicate any trade discussion involving the 23-year-old right-hander.
During a bullpen session in March, Jones complained of discomfort in his elbow, and he was held out from his final spring training start. Doctors said that Jones sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow, stressing that surgery was not necessary. Instead, Jones was told he would not work with a baseball until early May, limiting him to rehab workouts including a two-handed plyo ball program.
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