6 Red Sox on Thin Ice After Missing Postseason 3rd Year in a Row

1. Masataka Yoshida

Masataka Yoshida always finds his way onto these types of lists. After signing a five-year, $90 million deal (plus an additional $15.4 million posting fee) with the Boston Red Sox in Dec. 2022, Yoshida hasn't lived up to expectations in his two seasons in Boston.

In 421 plate appearances with the Red Sox in 2024, Yoshida hit .280/.349/.415 with 10 home runs and 56 RBI. The numbers aren't terrible, but it is hard to justify the three years and $55.8 million that Yoshida is still due.

Yoshida's value is further hurt by his lack of defensive ability. After playing 87 games in left field during his rookie season in 2023, Yoshida was relegated to a designated hitter-only role in 2024. Yoshida appeared in one game in the field in 2024 as a defensive substitution. With Alex Cora's downright refusal to play him in the field, Yoshida's one-dimensionality doesn't bode well in an argument for keeping him on the roster. He acknowledged as much himself when speaking through his interpreter to Chris Cotillo of MassLive: "If I could play more outfield, it would definitely add more flexibility to the lineup, more variation to the lineup. Being a full-time DH was tough for me. But it was a learning experience."

As currently constructed, the Red Sox have a surplus in the outfield with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder on the roster, and top prospect Roman Anthony presumably scheduled to make his debut in 2025. Outfielder Tyler O'Neill, who led Boston in home runs in 2024, has also openly expressed his desire to stay with the Red Sox – something that Breslow has appeared open to as well.

Yoshida has been constantly linked to trade rumors back to last offseason, and it appears that time is ticking on his days in Boston.

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