Because of his large contract, it doesn’t seem like other teams are trying to trade for Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.
“The Red Sox have remained open to dealing outfielder Masataka Yoshida this offseason, but there’s been virtually no interest from teams in assuming the remaining four years and $72 million he’s owed,” Speier stated.
In 140 games in 2023, Yoshida had 72 RBIs, 15 home runs, and a.289 batting average. Regarding the American League Rookie of the Year, he received the sixth most votes in the end.
Although his first year was impressive overall, the second part of the season saw a drop in his output. Yoshida’s final 47 games after July had just 3 home runs and 19 runs batted in.
Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse stated, “I think a lot of it comes down to last year, he was experiencing a bunch of firsts,” as reported by Sean McAdam of MassLive.com. “It wasn’t just the league; it was also the travel and the many diverse cultural aspects that came with being here. I believe the second time around, he’s probably much better prepared. It’s just a matter of positioning his body more effectively, in my opinion, to achieve that.”
The Boston front management might, however, decide against counting on an enhanced second season and to cut the 30-year-old’s contract. During the 2022 offseason, Yoshida inked a $90 million, five-year contract (per Spotrac).
At first, Jen McCaffrey and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on January 5 that “several teams” were interested in obtaining Yoshida, giving the impression that the Red Sox would have no trouble finding a prospective trade partner for the outfielder. However, it seems that interest has waned.
The Red Sox sent Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees on December 5 in exchange for three right-handed pitching prospects, demonstrating their active participation in trade talks this winter.