Boston Red Sox linked to trade that would make too much sense given outfield situation originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox have dealt with many rumors regarding outfielder Masataka Yoshida over the past year or so, and it doesn’t look like those will slow down anytime in the near future. One recent trade proposal linked Yoshida to the Seattle Mariners as a potential target.
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Chris Landers of FanSided suggested Seattle could make sense as a landing spot for Yoshida as the team looks to improve its lineup. Seattle already has one of, if not, the best, staff in baseball and could be a hitter or two away from being just as good as any team in the league.
“The Mariners went a long way toward solving their infield problem by landing Brendan Donovan, but I’m still not fully sold on the quality of this lineup in comparison to the AL’s other heavyweights,” Landers wrote.
“Both DH and the third outfield spot alongside Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena could use some work, with some combination of Luke Raley, Victor Robles, Dominic Canzone and Rob Refsnyder currently slated to form a platoon depending on the day’s pitching matchup.”
It’s tough to say that giving up Yoshida makes a lot of sense because he’s a good player when he’s on the field. The issue is that he’s hardly been healthy for the Red Sox.
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For Boston, a deal sending Yoshida out would be about roster balance and financial flexibility. Moving his contract could allow the Red Sox to address other needs while giving younger players more opportunities in the lineup, something most fans want.
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