As Spring Training gets underway, players on the roster bubble all around the league are vying for the handful of vacant spots on their clubs’ respective depth charts. In most cases, the players who find themselves in that situation are either up-and-coming youngsters or veterans on minor league deals trying to play their way back into the majors. It’s a lot less common to find a veteran player on a significant contract who could be in danger of losing his roster spot entering camp, but that’s the exact situation Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida could find himself in this spring.
Yoshida, 32, has two years and $36MM remaining on the contract he signed with Boston when coming over to MLB from Japan. Despite that big investment the Red Sox made in Yoshida, however, things haven’t gone especially well. After a rookie season where he graded out as an exceptionally weak left fielder defensively while posting a 111 wRC+, Yoshida was used in a pure DH role for 2024 as he played through a shoulder injury that hampered his ability to throw. His wRC+ ticked up slightly to 116 that year, though he made it into just 108 games. His role shrunk further in 2025, as he spent most of the season on the injured list and was used only sparingly even upon his return to action. He appeared in just 55 games overall and was far less productive than he had been in the past, slashing just .266/.307/.388 (88 wRC+) in 205 trips to the plate.
One down season where Yoshida played just a third of the campaign wouldn’t normally be cause to cut a player, especially one making that much money. The Red Sox find themselves in a bit of a bind in terms of roster-building headed into the year, however. Despite years of speculation, Boston has declined so far to trade one of Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, leaving them both in the everyday lineup alongside Ceddanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony. Rafaela is a capable defender on the infield, but would be wasted on the dirt given his status as one of the top defensive center fielders in the sport. That leaves Duran, Abreu, and Anthony to handle the two outfield corners, and the logical choice rather than benching one of the team’s best bats is to simply play whoever isn’t on the grass that day at DH.
That leaves Yoshida without a clear way to force his way into the lineup. It’s unclear if the 5’8” Yoshida would be able to handle first base even if called upon to do so, and he has no experience at the position to speak of. Even if he could, Willson Contreras figures to get everyday reps after being acquired from the Cardinals this offseason. Even if an injury occurred in the outfield, it’s unclear if Yoshida would be the team’s first choice to fill the gap. Triston Casas may not be ready to return from injury to start the year, but figures to be back at some point in the first half and at the very least could be a more credible back up to Contreras at first base than Yoshida. Kristian Campbell struggled in his first year as a big leaguer, but the Red Sox reportedly plan to use him primarily in the outfield.
Yoshida has been in trade rumors for a while but remains on the roster. It’s not hard to see him having a larger role on another roster, as even with his lackluster defense he remains a career 109 wRC+ hitter who has struck out in just 13.0% of his big league at-bats. He can be productive at the plate with a very high-contact approach which could be very valuable to teams with swing and miss concerns or a preference for contact hitters, though the contract remains an obstacle.
The question, then, becomes whether the Red Sox would be willing to cut loose a player who figures to be productive if given an opportunity because that opportunity doesn’t exist with the club as presently constructed. It’s hard to see Yoshida as the best use of one of the team’s limited bench spots. Connor Wong (or another backup catcher) figures to take one spot, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa was brought in to be a utility infielder and will surely take another. Romy Gonzalez was very productive last year and would be a worthwhile platoon partner for Marcelo Mayer or Abreu in a heavily left-handed Red Sox lineup, and that leaves just one spot on the bench available. Bringing in another right-handed bat like Campbell, Nate Eaton, Andruw Monasterio, or non-roster invitee Brendan Rodgers would make a lot of sense given the heavily left-handed Red Sox lineup. Even a more versatile lefty like Tsung-Che Cheng would arguably be a better use of the roster spot than a largely DH-only player like Yoshida. And if the Red Sox ever wanted a big lefty bat for their bench, they could simply turn to the optionable Casas.
How do MLBTR readers think the Red Sox will handle Yoshida this spring, barring injuries? Will they look to move on from him to create more flexibility on the bench, or will they stick with him in hopes they can find him enough playing time to allow him to rebuild value? Have your say in the poll below:
