The Boston Red Sox will be buyers at the 2025 MLB trade deadline, but they could decide to trade away a player whose seen decreased playing time and owed a lot of money.
Red Sox Urged to Trade Away Masataka Yoshida originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Boston Red Sox will be busy over the next week as the 2025 MLB trade deadline approaches. The Red Sox will be in the market as heavy buyers looking to acquire what it takes to make a World Series run.
However, Boston could look to trade away a player who's owed quite a bit of money and has seen his role with the Red Sox decrease in 2025.
CBS Sports' Dayn Perry suggested the Red Sox trade away outfielder and designated hitter Masataka Yoshida. Perry believes the Red Sox will have to cough up some cash to get a trade done, but that it's necessary for the betterment of the team long-term.
"Dealing Yoshida should be a priority largely because the Sox have a positional log jam, and getting him into the lineup costs members of the young core plate appearances and consistency of role," Perry wrote. "Developing top talents like Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela (and also clearing the decks for Kristian Campbell's eventual return to the majors) should be the priority, and doing so is also good for near-term results."
Ceddanne Rafaela may not have been an All-Star, but he’s having a breakout season.
— Driveline Baseball (@DrivelineBB) July 23, 2025
Since June 1, he’s paired elite defense and baserunning with a 157 wRC+ at the plate 💥 pic.twitter.com/twyRgecybX
Yoshida's first two years with the Red Sox were very productive, hitting over .280 both years and contributing a combined 25 home runs and 128 RBI. However, 2025 has been a setback for the now-31-year-old. Yoshida has dealt with injuries throughout the season and has only played in nine games, and is hitting just .233 on the season.
To combat the downward trend of Yoshida, the Red Sox have brought up a bunch of their young outfield prospects to allow them to develop at the major-league level, and they're starting to find their footing.
Yoshida is also owed $18.6 million in 2025 and the next two years. That's a lot of money to contribute to a player that's only being used as a platoon DH and spot starter in the outfield, especially when the Red Sox have loads of young players to fill those spots.
"The 32-year-old Yoshida has a solid-enough career OPS+ of 110, and he can be the primary half of a strong DH platoon, while also seeing spot duty in left," Perry wrote. "He's a useful player if deployed properly, but he's a poor fit for Boston's roster."
However, with Yoshida's current strengths, the Red Sox would likely have to pay part, if not most, of his salary in any trade they can complete. There are plenty of teams that could use Yoshida's skillset, but not for $18.6 million.
Perry named a few teams that could be interested in Yoshida if the Red Sox decide to pull the plug on the outfielder.
"The Padres? The Rangers? The Brewers? The Guardians if they decide to press for contention? The Giants maybe?" Perry wrote. "There are potential fits out there, and Breslow should be engaging with them on Yoshida."
The Red Sox will likely be on the buying end of multiple trades at the deadline, but trading away Yoshida could be a sneaky move for the Red Sox to allow their young prospects to grow in the present, develop for the future, and save money for the next couple of years.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
