The Boston Red Sox made a clear, decisive statement Sunday night, acquiring Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals for three pitchers and injecting proven power into the middle of their lineup.
It was a move about certainty, which inevitably raised questions about the future of Triston Casas.
Casas, 25, is rehabbing from a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, suffered in a collision while running down the first-base line on May 2. He’s targeting an Opening Day return, but the severity of the injury — combined with his recent history — made it impossible for Boston to build its 2026 plans around hope alone.
On Monday morning, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow spoke directly with Casas before addressing the media on a Zoom call, delivering a message that was honest but supportive.
“It’s no secret that Triston has tremendous potential,” Breslow said. “But he also hasn’t been able to stay on the field the last couple of years thanks to two really unfortunate — but significant — injuries.”
That line framed everything.
The Red Sox are not questioning Casas’ upside. They’re acknowledging a pattern that has limited his impact at the major league level — and they’re adjusting accordingly.
“I had a chance to talk to Triston this morning and what I told him is exactly what I’ll share with all of you: We still have a ton of confidence and belief in Triston,” Breslow said. “What he needs to do is commit to doing everything possible to get back on the field. He’s doing that right now.”
The tone wasn’t disciplinary on behalf of Breslow, but it was an important message to the former first-round pick.
“He feels really good with the progress and there’s going to be an opportunity for him to impact games for us,” Breslow added. “Exactly what that looks like, we’ll figure out.”
That flexibility — not rigid roles or timelines — is central to Boston’s thinking, especially given Casas’ recent track record.
A former first-round pick, Casas debuted late in 2022 and quickly looked like a cornerstone. In his first full season in 2023, he slugged 24 home runs with an .856 OPS and finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting.
Casas opened 2024 hot, but after just 23 games tore cartilage in his rib cage on a swing in late April, sidelining him for nearly two months. He appeared in only 63 games that season. In 2025, he once again started on Opening Day but struggled to a .182 average and .580 OPS across 112 plate appearances before his knee injury ended the year.
The production hasn’t matched the promise — largely because he hasn’t been able to stay on the field long enough for it to stabilize.
Casas remains under team control for three more seasons, and Boston is not in a rush to trade him. That said, the Red Sox have been open to trade discussions involving Casas throughout the winter, sources have said, while recognizing that his value may have cratered after two injury-shortened seasons. Any deal now would almost certainly come at a discount — one that the organization has little incentive to accept.
#STLCards first baseman Willson Contreras extends his on-base streak to 24 games by drilling an 85 mph changeup from Cristopher Sanchez for his seventh double of the season. pic.twitter.com/z7OM9psEz9
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) May 12, 2025
That patience is made possible by Contreras.
The veteran is expected to be the club’s primary first baseman in 2026 while also logging time as the designated hitter. Casas, meanwhile, is expected to open the season with the Worcester Red Sox, allowing him to focus on health, timing, and consistent at-bats without major league pressure.
If Casas gets hot with the WooSox, he’ll force his way back into the picture — potentially sharing first base and DH duties with Contreras as the season unfolds.
Breslow cautioned against trying to script roles too far in advance.
“Those things tend to work out,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to keep everybody fresh, to keep everybody involved and engaged at the same time. As we sit here in late December with Triston coming off of a season-ending injury, to get too far ahead of ourselves probably doesn’t make a ton of sense.”
That mindset explains the construction of the roster more than any single move.
“To have right-handed impact, left-handed impact, both guys that can hit the ball out of the park, it’s going to make us better,” Breslow added.
Boston isn’t choosing between Contreras and Casas. They’re stacking skill sets — and allowing performance and health to dictate the final shape.
That approach, however, runs into a familiar constraint – what will the Red Sox do with Masataka Yoshida?
He’s essentially a full-time DH at this stage of his career, creating a roster bottleneck. Since 2023, Yoshida has appeared in just 303 games, slashing .282/.337/.425 with a .762 OPS — respectable production, but not enough to justify limiting flexibility.
The contract complicates matters further. Yoshida is owed $18 million this season and another $18 million next year, making any trade difficult without salary retention or creative maneuvering.
Still, Boston understands the math.