Boston Red Sox Possible Trade Candidate Undergoes Serious Surgery as Offseason Begins

What is the future in Boston for Masataka Yoshida?

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (7) hits a double against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre on Sept 25. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

According to Boston Red Sox Insider Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald, Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida underwent surgery on his shoulder at the outset of this offseason.

Per Cerullo on social media:

INBOX: Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida underwent a successful right shoulder labral repair on October 3, 2024. The procedure was performed by Dr. Evan O’Donnell at Massachusetts General Hospital.

INBOX: Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida underwent a successful right shoulder labral repair on October 3, 2024. The procedure was performed by Dr. Evan O’Donnell at Massachusetts General Hospital.

— Mac Cerullo (@MacCerullo) October 16, 2024

It was a trying year for Yoshida in many ways. First off, he only got 378 at-bats this season. Part of that stems from a lengthy thumb injury and part of it stems from his semi-falling out with the organization. The team didn't play him as much against left-handers this year and played him almost exclusively at designated hitter, meaning he had less paths to playing time.

Despite those challenges, he hit .280 with 10 homers and 56 RBI. He still posted a solid .349 on-base percentage and has elite bat-to-ball skills.

Yoshida is clearly a useful player, but he may not be a useful player for the Red Sox, who won't use him in the outfield and prefer to rotate their designated hitter spot based on matchups. He has three years and approximately $54 million left on his contract and he would be a seemingly strong trade candidate this offseason. The Red Sox could probably "buy" a better prospect by eating most of the money, or they could get the acquiring team to take on more of the money while receiving a lesser player in return.

Yoshida debuted with the Red Sox in 2023 after a successful career in Japan. He's hit .285 through his two seasons with 25 homers.

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