First base has been a glaring hole for the Boston Red Sox ever since Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this month. The Red Sox have struggled to fill Casas' void since then, as neither Nick Sogard nor Abraham Toro has produced desirable results at 1B, whereas Kristian Campbell is still doing his best to learn the position.
With the in-house options failing to look like legitimate starting 1Bs, Red Sox fans have been pressuring the front office to make a trade. Well, the fanbase's prayers were finally answered on Thursday.
Unfortunately, it likely isn't the answer they were looking forward.
Red Sox Acquire Ryan Noda From Angels Amid 1B Drama
On Thursday afternoon, MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported that the Red Sox have acquired first baseman Ryan Noda from the Los Angeles Angels, sending cash back the other way. In a following move, designated hitter Masataka Yoshida was placed on the 60-day injured list as he continues rehabbing his shoulder.
When Red Sox fans said they wanted to see the front office add a first baseman, they were hoping for a starter-quality bat. Instead, they're left with Noda, who's a 29-year-old journeyman who's only played 164 MLB games despite being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 15th round of the 2017 draft.
After playing minor-league ball for the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, Noda finally made his MLB debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2023. The former Cincinnati Bearcat spent the following two seasons with the A's, slashing a forgettable .212/.344/.369 with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a horrific 34.2% strikeout rate across 606 plate appearances.
After being placed on waivers by the A's in November, Noda was soon claimed by the Angels. He didn't play a single game in Los Angeles after the claim, instead spending the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Salt Lake, tallying only four HRs, eight RBIs, 31 walks, and 53 strikeouts with a .148/.364/.270 slash line in 38 games.
Looking at those stats, it's hard to imagine that the Red Sox view Noda as any sort of legitimate help. The fact that he's almost 30 years old and still a career minor-leaguer is telling, especially when he's barely hitting the ball at all in Triple-A to begin with. While changes of scenery can help a struggling player, Noda likely is who he is at this stage of his career.
Time will tell if Noda can play well enough to eventually join Boston's lineup. If not, expect Sogard and Toro to continue handling the Red Sox's first-base duties until Campbell is ready or a legitimate 1B is acquired via trade.