Masataka Yoshida is set to undergo an MRI on his right shoulder, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) after today’s game. Earlier today, Carlos Yamazaki of Tokyo Sports reported (via X) that Yoshida was considering having surgery, as Yoshida said he has been bothered by shoulder soreness for much of the season.
The 31-year-old Yoshida didn’t play in Boston’s season-ending 3-1 win over the Rays today, thus ending his second MLB season with a .280/.349/.415 slash line and 10 home runs over 421 plate appearances. That translates to a 115 wRC+ in 2024, and after he had relatively similar numbers in 580 PA in 2023, Yoshida now has a 112 wRC+ over his 248 games and 1001 trips to the plate as a big leaguer.
Between these solid numbers and the fact that he is one of the league’s toughest players to strike out, Yoshida’s first two Major League seasons have been quite respectable overall. However, more than “respectable” was expected when the Sox signed him to a five-year, $90MM deal during the 2022-23 offseason. Seen as an overpay of a contract from former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, Yoshida seemed to answer his critics with some very strong numbers in 2023 before fading down the stretch.
His 2024 was limited in another sense, as Yoshida was almost exclusively a designated hitter. While Cora reiterated today that Yoshida’s usage was more due to Boston’s outfield surplus than due to concerns about Yoshida’s defense, the fact remains that Yoshida played in just one game as an outfielder this season. The left-handed hitting Yoshida was also largely used only against right-handed pitching, further limiting his playing time.
More will be known about Yoshida’s shoulder once the MRI is complete, but if surgery is necessary, that further complicates his status heading into 2025. With three years and $54MM remaining on his contract, Yoshida is a tough player to move in any trade talks, and his trade value will dip further if any health uncertainty is attached. Some room in Boston’s outfield could open up if Tyler O’Neill departs in free agency, but two star Red Sox outfield prospects (Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell) are expected to be part of the big league roster at some point in 2025, further crowding the picture.
There’s also a chance O’Neill is re-signed, as he told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford and other reporters that he spoke with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow today, and the two both expressed “mutual interest” in a reunion. Breslow also spoke publicly earlier this week about the club’s keenness in possibly bringing the Canadian slugger back for 2025 and beyond.
Injuries have continued to plague O’Neill, as he was limited to 113 games and 473 PA this season due to three relatively brief stints on the 10-day IL. The good news is that when O’Neill was able to play, he delivered to the tune of 31 homers and a .241/.336/.511 slash line, and a 131 wRC+. O’Neill had an elite barrel rate and excellent walk and hard-hit ball rates, even if he also posted one of the baseball’s worst strikeout rates (33.6%). The right-handed hitting O’Neill also had some drastic splits, as he had only a .693 OPS in 317 PA against righty pitching but a whopping 1.180 OPS in 156 PA against southpaws.
The splits are perhaps less of an issue for the Red Sox than other teams, as having a powerful right-handed bat is particularly helpful on a Sox roster that is overloaded with lefty swingers. That said, Boston’s future outfield prospects perhaps cloud the chances of O’Neill’s return, and his injury history does add an extra element of risk for the Sox or any team that signs him to a multi-year contract. It’s not out of the question that O’Neill could accept a one-year qualifying offer to take a $21MM-ish payday and stay in Boston in 2025, but there seems to be a greater chance that O’Neill would reject a QO and seek a heftier contract on the heels of his strong season.
Finally, today’s game marked the final broadcast for longtime radio broadcaster Joe Castiglione, who is retiring from regular announcing duty after 42 years of calling Red Sox games. He was recognized by the Hall of Fame as this year’s winner of the Ford Frick Award, and several Sox legends took part in a pregame ceremony today honoring Castiglione’s tenure as the voice of Red Sox Nation. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Castiglione on his incredible career.
Fever Pitch Guy
Very good writeup Mark, and congrats to Joe once again on his retirement. He was the perfect announcer, wasn’t too much of a homer and waited before calling fly balls homeruns and his tremendous memory was great in mixing in fantastic stories and references. I will truly miss him.
all in the suit that you wear
O’Neill is a Boras client. So, I doubt he will be back.
luckyh
Thanks for everything Joe! Enjoy your retirement!
Thefrogsaregey
Id rather have Ibanez from the tigers for 100 million less. Platoon bat with good d
Occams_hairbrush
If Yoshida made 5M I’d love him. It’s very possible he could be a 300 hitter with a plus .800 OPS.. He takes a HBP as much as he can, he rarely strikes out, and he’s just a smart hitter.
Sadly, he does not make 5M.
Claydagoat
He definitely has the bat skills to put together some very good years, but with all the guys they have coming up, they don’t need a regular DH at all, let alone one making 18M.
KingKen
Even at half his current contract he has value. But that’s what the Sox would realistically have to consider to move him, eating half the remaining money on his deal. That still would be worth it to clear the roster spot.
mlb fan
“Be worth it”…Well stated. Signing an $18M/yr 10 HR DH with virtually no defensive value to a long term deal is a serious misstep.
And I agree that it’d be “worth it” to do whatever it takes to move him to a different team. Addition by subtraction is sometimes the very best way to go.
KingKen
Yep. Its sunk costs. No need to compound the initial mistake by keeping him on the roster when that spot is better served going to someone else. Anything they can get another team to cover of the $18M per year would be a bonus. And the team has enough young players making very little to swing having a chunk of money for essentially nothing.
Rsox
Not sure if O’Neill can best the QO in AAV for the season but a team with a lot of DH AB’s to give might be a better option than staying in Boston unfortunately
Fever Pitch Guy
Rsox – He’s projected to land a $36M/3yr contract.
Zero chance he comes anywhere close to $20M AAV on a multi year contract.
Rsox
Probably true, which is one reason to accept the QO they will almost assuredly give him. The flip side is given his injury history he may want the security of a multi-year guarantee, which I’m not sure the Red Sox offer unless they move one of Yoshida/Duran/Abreu first
Youkilyptus
The Sox should offer O’Neill a qualifying offer. I hope he comes back: the RH outfield power bat is a great fit on this team.