The Boston Red Sox had high hopes that Triston Casas would solidify his role as their long-term first baseman this season. However, those plans have now become much more uncertain.
Casas posted a .580 OPS over 29 games before tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee. He’s still in the recovery process following surgery, and it’s currently unclear whether he’ll be ready to take the field for the Red Sox—or any team—by Opening Day.
Will the Red Sox look to replace Casas, who hasn’t shown the ability to keep himself in the lineup for a team that lacks home run power?
Craig Breslow on Casas’ future
Following two consecutive seasons in which Casas missed most of the games due to injury, the Red Sox were questioned on Monday about the 25-year-old’s future as the team’s starting first baseman. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow didn’t offer any guarantees but made it clear that the role is still under review.
“I don’t think it makes a ton of sense, on Oct. 6, to say someone is or isn’t our first baseman,” Breslow said, via NESN. “We’ll see how things play out. Unfortunately, Triston has missed a significant amount of time over the last two years, but we’ve also seen what he’s capable of doing when he’s healthy.”
Last offseason, Breslow was the one advocating for Casas, expressing confidence that the young player could deliver a 40-home run, 120-RBI season. However, behind the scenes, the Red Sox were likely open to trade offers and may have been surprised by the limited interest.
This winter, it’s difficult to see the Red Sox getting much value in return for a player coming off major surgery with just 92 games played since early last year. If they decide to move on from Casas, they’ll need to pursue a free agent and/or a trade while also determining whether he still fits into their long-term plans.
Breslow also mentioned that the team is optimistic about Casas making a full recovery but didn’t provide a specific timeline for his return to game action.
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