Report: One Player Stood in the way of big Red Sox/Mariners Trade

The Boston Red Sox have done all right in boosting their starting pitching this winter, trading for Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox, and signing former LA Dodger Walker Buehler to a 'prove it' one-year deal.

But we're now learning that they were also this close to landing ace starting pitcher Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners. But the one player that stood in the way was... Masataka Yoshida?

Per a @Feinsand article, the Boston Red Sox offered a trade with the Seattle Mariners of Luis Castillo for Triston Casas if the Mariners took back Masataka Yoshida in the deal (3 year/55.8 million contract).

Would’ve saved the Mariners money in the long run and solved 2 holes🙃 pic.twitter.com/n6ysUUmayv
— EastCoastM’s🔱 (@EastCoastMs_) December 27, 2024

According to Mark Feinsand of mlb.com, the Mariners wanted first base slugger Triston Casas in return, but the Red Sox balked because Seattle refused to also take Masataka Yoshida in addition to Casas. The Japanese DH has three years and $55.8 million remaining on his contract, and the BoSox wanted to move on from that.

To be fair, Yoshida hasn't fared that poorly with Boston in his two seasons there, compiling a pretty decent slash line of .285/.343/.433 with an OPS of .775 and an OPS+ of 111 (11% above the average hitter). But his power is lacking with only 25 homers total across the two seasons.

As for the Red Sox, they'll be okay in the starting staff department without Castillo, now with a group that has Crochet and Buehler to go with some combination of Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Garrett Whitlock. Plenty of good arms to choose from.