The Boston Red Sox are expected to move on from designated hitter and occasional outfielder Masataka Yoshida this offseason as the club confronts a crowded outfield and looks to add more power.
MassLive Red Sox reporter Chris Cotillo wrote that Yoshida “looks like a goner after another subpar year.” Cotillo added that Yoshida “is not without value but simply doesn’t fit on this Red Sox roster, so the club might try to trade him again (something they haven’t had luck with before) or simply cut bait.”
Yoshida signed a five-year, $90 million contract with Boston in December 2022. He is owed $18 million in 2027, the final year of the deal. Releasing him would mean the Red Sox eat that remaining salary.
In four seasons with Boston, Yoshida has batted .280 with a .339 on-base percentage and .420 slugging percentage. He has 34 home runs and 182 RBIs across 390 games.
His 2026 numbers were modest. He appeared in 87 games, batting .274 with a .347 on-base percentage, .399 slugging percentage and .746 OPS while hitting five home runs and driving in 28 runs. Injuries, including a late-season hamstring issue, limited his playing time.
Yoshida has primarily served as a designated hitter because of defensive limitations. He started only sparingly in the outfield after his first season.
Boston’s outfield already features Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony, with Jarren Duran also under team control. The depth has left limited at-bats for Yoshida.
Cotillo also identified Duran as a potential trade candidate.
“Duran played 151 games last year in large part because Anthony was unavailable for so much of the season. If Anthony had been right, Duran’s role would have been a talking point for months. With that backdrop, a trade involving Duran is expected to once again be squarely in play for the Red Sox — and something that the 30-year-old might welcome considering the stage of his career (he’s two years from free agency) and a dwindling opportunity in Boston. How other teams value him is the big question. Moving Duran and his projected $11.1 million arbitration salary could help the Red Sox achieve other winter objectives in an offseason in which money might be tighter than people realize.”
Duran, 30, finished 2026 with a .207 batting average, .266 on-base percentage, .361 slugging percentage and .627 OPS in 151 games. He hit 20 home runs and stole 21 bases but posted the lowest OPS of his career.
Cotillo suggested the Red Sox could also consider trading former top prospect Kristian Campbell rather than Yoshida if a deal requires attaching a younger player.
The Red Sox finished 2026 at 87-75 and were eliminated by the New York Yankees in the wild-card round. The club has previously tried and failed to trade Yoshida amid ongoing roster constraints.
Cotillo’s prediction is that Boston will designate Yoshida for assignment and either trade Duran or Campbell while pursuing a power-hitting designated hitter.
The offseason moves would free roster spots and potentially payroll space as the Red Sox seek upgrades at designated hitter and shortstop.
