Red Sox

The future continues to be shiny for Triston Casas.

Even after sitting out many of the 2024 season attributable to injury, the 24-year-old first baseman still has the strength and plate discipline vital to proceed to be a force at the center of the Red Sox lineup for years to come back.

But if the Red Sox look for methods so as to add more pitching this offseason than simply breaking the bank in free agency, Casas' high ceiling could turn into a lovely trade asset for Craig Breslow and Boston's top team.

Longtime MLB insider Ken Rosenthal talked about “foul territory” on Monday, dismissing the Mariners as a team that could be fascinated by getting Casas from Boston, especially if it means a young starting pitcher returns to Seattle.

“What if you could trade him for one of Seattle’s young starters? “Seattle needs a first baseman.” Rosenthal said. “My assessment is that they won’t spend on Pete Alonso or Christian Walker. Well, here's Tristan Cass, a guy with minimum salary for another year or two.

“And if you were to give up maybe a Bryan Woo or another young starter — who would be the most likely in my opinion [traded] – Well, that’s interesting.”

The Mariners don’t have any shortage of top young players of their rotation between Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Woo. Woo, 24, impressed in Seattle last season with a 9-3 record over 22 starts and a 2.89 ERA.

However, Woo handled some injury issues over the summer – including medial elbow inflammation and a hamstring strain. He also underwent an MRI in June it got here back “completely clean”.” – but concerns remain about his ability to log heavy innings.

For Rosenthal, acquiring a pitcher with some risk (but a variety of potential) in Woo can be only one step toward retooling a Red Sox rotation that's lacking top talent.

“And then when you're with the Red Sox, you go out and sign Blake Snell or Max Fried, you do a few other things too and bingo – you're back in business,” Rosenthal said. “I'm not saying that's going to happen. I'm speculating.

“But at the same time, all of these scenarios are the types of scenarios that I would imagine — I feel even stronger, I’m pretty sure — the Red Sox are discussing.”

This isn't the primary time Rosenthal has mentioned Casas as a possible trade chip for Boston – as he outlined Casas-to-Seattle deal at The Athletic in September.

Despite Casas' age and high potential, the Red Sox have ways to clarify his absence from the lineup in the event that they do move him.

As Rosenthal noted, Boston could trade Casas for pitching after which take a right-handed, hard-hitting infielder like Alex Bregman or Willy Adames in free agency.

Both Bregman and Adames can play third base, with Casas' absence giving Rafael Devers the choice to maneuver to first base if vital.

It's an intriguing possibility for Boston — one which also carries a variety of risk for the Red Sox if Casas can prove briefly order that the 2024 season was just an injury-related fluke.

“I think the team and the organization should continue to strive for a championship whether I'm there or not,” Casas told Julian McWilliams last month. “I don’t know what the front office plans to do this offseason in terms of restructuring the roster to try to be a playoff team.

“I want to be part of the plans to make this happen, but if not, and they want to look for an outside source for me to try and strengthen the squad, that is well within their power.”

Red Sox

Amid a revitalized offseason during which agents and insiders alike expect the Red Sox to spend big, Boston is reportedly in talks with two free agent aces.

When Jeff Passan, ESPN's top MLB insider, discussed the Red Sox' lack of in-house pitching development, he casually mentioned that Boston is “talking to” Blake Snell and Max Fried. Both are among the many top free agent armies this offseason.

“At this point, they have everything going for them except their ability to develop starting pitching at the big league level,” Passan said on the web site Baseball Bar-B Cast. “Brayan Bello is good. Kutter Crawford is a perfectly good big league starter. But they don't have a guy. And that’s why they talk to Blake Snell and that’s why they talk to Max Fried.”

Passan's assessment of Boston's pitching needs is fair and consistent with the view many individuals have of the Red Sox rotation. Tanner Houck and Brayan Bello are each very capable, and Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford would fit thoroughly at the top of the rotation. But adding a real ace to the fold would go a good distance toward turning things around in Boston.

Snell would also add one other element to the starting arms as a lefty pitcher. He won the second Cy Young Award of his profession in 2023 with the Padres and posted a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts with the Giants in 2024. Snell threw his first profession no-hitter on August 2nd.

Fried was linked to Boston before free agency even got here along and was a reputation to control for the Red Sox. His connection to Giolito – and Giolito's known desire to play alongside his highschool teammate again – created an obvious connection between the 2 teams.

Fried is coming off an All-Star season and finished 2024 with a 3.25 ERA. He also made 29 starts and pitched 174.1 innings, proving his arm can handle the strain of a full season.

Passan added that if Boston would fairly pursue Juan Soto as a substitute, they might further add to their rotation through a trade involving White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, one other name linked to Boston thus far this offseason .

Regardless of which path Boston takes to overhaul its roster, Passan concluded his monologue with some vital advice for the Red Sox front office.

“They have to be intelligent in how they do things because it’s not easy to get stars,” Passan said.