The Mariners and Red Sox have been connected in trade rumors for over a year, including reports this winter that Seattle rejected Boston’s offer of Triston Casas for either Bryan Woo or Bryce Miller. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, another potential deal involving Casas was discussed, but the Red Sox declined a trade that would have sent Casas to Seattle in exchange for Luis Castillo unless Masataka Yoshida was also included in the package.
Yoshida, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Red Sox in December 2022 under former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, has been a frequent subject of trade rumors since Craig Breslow took over Boston’s front office. Yoshida still has $54 million remaining on his deal over three years, but he recently underwent shoulder surgery in October, with recovery expected by Opening Day.
While Yoshida’s contract has been a focus of his MLB tenure, his performance has been solid, hitting .285/.343/.433 with 25 home runs in 1,001 plate appearances, translating to a 112 wRC+. He has excelled against right-handed pitchers, but his overall production has been dampened by a lack of power, subpar walk rates, and defensive struggles. After a disappointing defensive showing in left field in 2023, the Red Sox moved Yoshida to designated hitter duties in 2024, a role he reportedly did not favor.
The Mariners, who need left-handed hitting and offensive depth, might find Yoshida appealing in theory. However, with Randy Arozarena expected in left field and Mitch Haniger as the primary DH, Yoshida would likely be limited to a platoon role in Seattle. Furthermore, the Mariners were likely uninterested in taking on Yoshida’s contract, particularly when reports suggest they are only open to trading Castillo to clear payroll.
Castillo is owed $68.25 million from 2025-27, plus a potential $25 million vesting option for 2028 based on health and performance. Trading Castillo for Yoshida would only save the Mariners $39.25 million, which likely didn’t justify giving up a young, controllable slugger like Casas. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has emphasized that trading from the rotation is a last-resort option, and taking back a large contract as part of a deal doesn’t fit their strategy.
It appears the Red Sox are looking to move on from Yoshida, though finding a team willing to take on a significant portion of his $54 million remaining salary will be challenging. Pairing Casas or another young player with Yoshida could help facilitate a deal, but doing so might be viewed as a misuse of assets, especially since Boston is a big-market team capable of absorbing the contract.
While the Red Sox have shown a preference for staying under the luxury tax threshold, Breslow has still made notable moves this offseason, such as acquiring Garrett Crochet and signing Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval. However, their pursuit of marquee free agents like Juan Soto, Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, and Teoscar Hernandez has not yielded results.
The Mariners and Red Sox seem like logical trade partners, with Seattle’s pitching depth aligning with Boston’s need for arms. However, after over a year of trade discussions, the two sides have yet to reach a mutually agreeable deal.
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