Red Sox Urged Not To Trade Polarizing Young Slugger: 'Impatient, Counterproductive'

Should moving this star be off the table?

May 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A bag of baseballs sits on the diamond before a game against between the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox know they need starting pitching, but how they acquire it has yet to be determined.

The Red Sox were in playoff position at the All-Star break in 2024, but things quickly fell apart in July and August. The rotation never had a consistent ace to carry the load when the rubber met the road, and that left the Red Sox searching for answers that never came.

Many have speculated that in order to acquire such an ace, the Red Sox could trade one of their many left-handed hitters rather than pay a pitcher top dollar in free agency. However, one insider believes there is a certain lefty who should be off-limits in trade talks.

Triston Casas, the 24-year-old home run hitter who the Red Sox drafted in the first round in 2018, has been the subject of trade debates for months at this point. John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston recently urged the Red Sox to take Casas off the table in their search for an ace.

"(Casas) does everything you'd want out of a young hitter, ranking among the league leaders in bat speed, barrel percentage, and chase rate," Tomase said. "He swings at strikes and when he connects, he hits the ball hard. It's easy to envision him growing into a Carlos Delgado-style destroyer, and who wouldn't want one of those?"

"For an organization that's desperate to win with elite homegrown talent, Casas and his lifetime .830 OPS represent a surer thing at the moment than even baseball's No. 1 prospect, Roman Anthony. For the Red Sox to trade him when there are other ways to acquire impact pitching feels impatient, counterproductive, and at odds with their stated mission."

Casas missed nearly four months this season with a rib fracture, which made judging his numbers a futile exercise. He's been extremely solid since debuting at the end of 2022, rocking a 125 OPS+ and 42 homers in 222 games, and at times, has looked like one of the best power hitters in the game.

There's no question that Casas is a bit of a wild card, too. His painted nails, elaborate press conference answers, and confident demeanor don't always mesh with the fan base. But others love every minute of it, and when Casas is doing his thing on the diamond, no one is within their right to complain.

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