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13 hours ago
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The Boston Red Sox have added a lot of talent to the roster since missing the 2024 playoffs, but that could be causing a problem.
The front office went full throttle over the winter by bringing in Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Alex Bregman and more. And it has seen some strong contributions from rookie Kristian Campbell, with Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony waiting in the wings as well.
But as the team fills up its roster with talent, outfielder Masataka Yoshida has been left by the wayside.
“As the calendar turns from April to May, Masataka Yoshida remains something of an afterthought in the world of the Red Sox,” Chris Cotillo wrote for MassLive. “As he enters the third season of a five-year, $90 million contract he signed with Boston in December 2022, the 31-year-old remains sidelined by a laborious recovery from labrum surgery and faces an uncertain future with the club when he is fully healthy… Is Yoshida in some sort of baseball exile?”
As Yoshida recovers from his latest injuries, he’s been rehabbing in Florida as the active roster looks to build toward a return to the postseason. Cotillo reported that team trainers are now calling Yoshida back to Boston for some additional examinations. But even when he makes a full recovery, those around the slugger are starting to doubt he will ever fit back in with the Red Sox.
“Injury concerns aside, there are those in Yoshida’s camp who wonder how the left-handed hitter fits into the Red Sox’ plans when healthy,” Cotillo added. “With Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreau, Kristian Campbell and Rob Refsnyder ably handling the outfield and top prospect Roman Anthony knocking on the door, the outfield group is a strong one.”
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Yoshida isn’t able to return to a designated hitter role either, as that’s now occupied by franchise star Rafael Devers.
Cotillo also added that the “most likely scenario” is that the Red Sox will try to trade Yoshida once he’s activated, though his salary might make such a move difficult.
In the meantime, the questions levied against the team by those in Yoshida’s camp are probably fair ones. It seems that his future with the Red Sox is virtually over, even if he does recover from his persistent injuries.
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Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.
With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.
English (US)