The addition of Alex Bregman to the Boston Red Sox lineup has a number of consequences.
First, the Red Sox are plainly a superior club. They received the right-handed bat they urgently needed, as well as a respected clubhouse voice and hundreds of at-bats in the playoffs.
However, acquiring a free agent reduces the number of possibilities available to other players. Bregman will play every day, resulting in a roster constraint.
WIth Bregman expected to play second base, Rafael Devers will stay at third base, and star prospect Kristian Campbell will likely begin the season in the minor leagues. But after Campbell’s meteoric rise through the minor leagues in 2024, nearly everyone expects him to impact the big-league roster in 2025.
According to MassLive insider Chris Cotillo, that impact could now come at the expense of designated hitter Masataka Yoshida, who the Red Sox are likely to continue shopping in trades now that they have Bregman locked in for at least one season.
“Yoshida was likely to be the odd man out if the Red Sox acquired Arenado and shifted Devers to DH and a similar situation could play out on a longer timeline with Bregman in tow,” Cotillo wrote.
“Again, it’s pretty easy to envision a Red Sox lineup with Bregman at third, Campbell at second and Devers at DH being the best version available by the time spring turns to summer. Yoshida doesn’t do enough things well to stand out in that mix and it’s expected that the Sox will continue to look to trade him.”
Yoshida is just two years into a five-year, $90 million contract, which looks like a bad investment if he’s only ever going to be a designated hitter. That contract will also make him very tough to trade without the Red Sox eating a significant chunk of the money.
The Red Sox have also flirted with the idea of moving Yoshida back to the outfield, but it’s hard to imagine him getting that shot with both Campbell and fellow top prospect Roman Anthony gunning for playing time.
For now, Yoshida may have a spot in the lineup as long as he’s hitting. But if he wants to keep that spot for the entire season, he’s going to need to prove he has another gear, because his numbers through two seasons aren’t enough to keep the young guns at bay.
