Boston Red Sox: 3 areas of optimism for the 2023 MLB season
By Colin Lynch
Key additions to the Boston Red Sox lineup
Justin Turner: For the sake of optimism, we’re not going to discuss the key losses in the Red Sox lineup but rather focus on the newcomers. One of the biggest splashes will be right-handed power bat, Justin Turner.
Turner, 38, comes from Los Angeles, where he most recently posted .278 BA with 13 long balls and 81 RBIs. In 2022, Turner played 62 games at DH and 66 at third base. He’ll most likely be the everyday DH for Alex Cora, but he provides a legitimate third base option to give Rafael Devers a day off or a break defensively.
Turner can also help at first base. Turner’s ability to drive the ball to left field should play well at Fenway. Although he’s not a long-term piece, he adds excellent protection in a lineup that is suddenly missing JD Martinez and Xander Bogaerts.
Masataka Yoshida: Yoshida, the Japanese left fielder the Red Sox signed to a 5-year $90 million contract this offseason, is the biggest wild card heading into the 2023 campaign simply because it remains to be seen how his game will translate to Major League Baseball. Yoshida put together a .327 BA with 133 home runs and 467 RBIs in 762 games in Japan.
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Red Sox Chief Baseball Operator Chaim Bloom seems confident those numbers will translate to Boston.
"“There is a foundation here to be able to do some things and be able to handle an at-bat a certain way,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. “The way the swing works, the way that he sees the ball — those things do tend to translate really well for whatever environment the player is in.” – Chaim Bloom"
Triston Casas: Despite an injury-filled year, the young 6’5 first baseman got a taste of the big leagues in 2022.
Casas suffered an ankle injury in May while in Triple-A Worcester but still had excellent numbers. He earned a September call-up to the big leagues, where Casas hit .197 with 5 home runs and 12 RBI.
Next. Boston Red Sox have too many starting rotation questions. dark
But Red Sox fans can be excited about the future of Casas. He plays an above-average defensive first base and has worked his way into being a formidable power threat who can drive in runs and consistently put the bat on the ball. In parts of 4-minor league seasons, Casas has hit .269 with 46 home runs and 181 RBI.
If Casas and 26-year-old Alex Verdugo can emerge as legitimate offensive threats, the 2023 Red Sox may be more dangerous than expected.