The Red Sox Spring Training is fully underway, and naturally, there are some questions that pop up throughout the organization. Some of these may be pitching related, some may be who’s playing second, but the Red Sox have a more complicated issue (in a good way). They have too many good outfielders.
What’s in Store For Masataka Yoshida with Red Sox Outfield Jam?
Last year the main outfielders were Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Masataka Yoshida. This isn’t including super utility guys such as Nate Eaton. Abreu and Rafaela are Gold Glovers, so they are most likely staying, barring injuries. Anthony and Duran are both left fielders mainly. Since only one of them can play left, the other presumably bats at the designated hitter spot.
The Logjam
Duran did have a setback year in 2025 after his stellar MVP candidate 2024 season. However, this Spring Training, he’s been getting praise from Alex Cora. Against the Blue Jays on Monday, he went 2-3 with two doubles. It’s a one game test, and it was his first game back but it shows signs of a bounce back. This is key because if Duran gets back to what he was, he could be a mainstay in the lineup. He could play left or bat in the DH spot.
Cora has said that in terms of pull-hitting, Duran looks like a completely new hitter. If he continues at this pace, he will most likely be an everyday starter, which begs the question: if Duran and Anthony split time at the DH spot, where does Yoshida fit in? The former outfielder did make 44 of his 55 appearances at the designated hitter spot. If two of his teammates are competing for and seen as better fits currently for a spot he once held, it’s a tricky place to be for him. This makes it even weirder when the statement of Cora calling Yoshida one of the best hitters on the team is taken into effect.
Presenting Yoshida’s Case To Stay
Massataka Yoshida has been with Boston for about three years now, approaching his fourth season in 2026. This is his fourth year of a five year contract he signed back in 2023. In 2023, he batted .289, hitting 15 homers and starting hot right out of the gate. In 2024, he hit .280, but he had an OBP of .349 in 108 games. He still performed very well. Going into 2025, expectations were sort of high for him, being seen as a consistent offensive player, and given the stacked outfield, hitting full time seemed like a given.
Following the 2024 season, he underwent shoulder surgery, keeping him out for the first half of the 2025 season. Even with that and all of the talent that the Red Sox had in the system, he managed to play 55 games. Unfortunately he did struggle coming back, hitting .239 in July and .214 in August. However, when the Red Sox were in the middle of a Wild Card chase in September, Yoshida turned it up. He hit .333 in the month of September, posting an OPS of .837 and driving in 13 runs as well. He was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in one of the most crucial points of the season. His mostly consistent hitting and his timely hot streaks make him valuable enough to keep around. But this season, that might be hard.
Is There A Trade Route?
Aside from Duran and maybe Abreu, Yoshida was the biggest major leaguer for Boston that had trade questions around him. He is a tricky asset to trade, seeing as he’s got two years left on his contract worth 36 million (originally five for 90 million). When you add in that he is coming off a season where he missed half due to an injury, teams may not be willing to jump towards him. But the more Yoshida plays, the better he is. The injury was definitely a concern last year, but with the chances of him getting more than 60 games in Boston is getting less likely.
Now granted, seeing as the Red Sox were looking for a veteran outfielder earlier this offseason, he could technically stick around as that. However, he’s a much better hitter than a fielder. So teams such as the Twins, who need an upgrade at DH, could go after him. If the Red Sox have to eat half of the contract, that would be okay. But with talks of guys like Abreu being extension eligible, the decision to move his contract will have to come soon.
Main Photo Credits: David Butler II-Imagn Images
