Boston Red Sox
“We gotta get him healthy.”
Triston Casas was once projected to be a key cog in the Red Sox’ next wave of top young talent.
But, after breaking through with a 23-homer season in 2023, the power-hitting first baseman has seen his career derailed by injuries and a sizable dip in production.
He has appeared in just 92 total games over the last two seasons, batting .222 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI over that stretch. Prior to suffering a season-ending ruptured patellar tendon in his knee on May 2, Casas was batting just .182 with three home runs and a .277 on-base percentage.
Casas still has some potential given his age (25) and skillset as a patient hitter with some pop.
But as the Red Sox look to take advantage of this current contention window after earning a playoff berth in 2025, can Boston afford to wait on Casas to see if he thrive as the team’s go-to first baseman in 2026 and beyond?
Given Boston’s clear need for some pop at the plate, it should come as little surprise that the Red Sox have been linked to free-agent sluggers like Kyle Schwarber, Bo Bichette, and first baseman Pete Alonso.
Alonso, who has averaged 42 home runs and 114 RBI over his seven seasons with the Mets, would be a potential replacement at first for Casas, even if signing Alonso would require a hefty new contract doled out in free agency.
Casas’ stock has plummeted entering a pivotal offseason for the Red Sox.
But, Red Sox manager Alex Cora stressed that the Red Sox are not signaling that they’re reading to move on from the gifted first baseman.
“We gotta get him healthy,” Cora said on “Foul Territory.” “I think Triston is a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish, but we gotta get him healthy. … We’re not giving up on him, but we know he hasn’t been healthy throughout his career. So, that’s very important.”
Even if the Red Sox believe that Casas has more to give moving forward, Craig Breslow and the Red Sox are inviting plenty of risk if they decide to stand pat and go with Casas and Romy Gonzalez as the team’s top options at first in 2026.
Given those evident injury concerns, Breslow stressed in Boston’s season-ending press conference that the Red Sox are not already committing to Casas as the team’s everyday first baseman next summer.
“I don’t think it makes a ton of sense on Oct. 6th to say someone is or isn’t our first baseman and we’ll see how things play out,” Breslow said in October. “Unfortunately, Triston has missed a significant amount of time over the last two years. We’ve also seen what he’s capable of doing when he’s healthy.”
While the Red Sox weight their options regarding Casas and a potential upgrade at first base, Cora stressed that Boston’s top focus this winter should be to build off the momentum gained from a promising 2025 campaign.
“Just continue to be aggressive like we were last year,” Cora said when asked what he wants to see from the Red Sox this offseason.” “Just stay aggressive. Playing three games in October is not good enough for us. … We have to be better.”
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
