The Boston Red Sox have had a productive offseason. They were in the mix for Juan Soto, signed Alex Bregman and traded for Garrett Crochet. Could they make one more trade?
The Red Sox could look to add more pitching depth before the season starts. FanSided’s Jacob Mountz proposed this trade that sends Masataka Yoshida to the Cleveland Guardians for a pitcher:
- Red Sox receive: right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz
- Guardians receive: designated hitter Masataka Yoshida
“In 2024, Ortiz threw to a 3.32 ERA spanning 135.2 innings, his once-lackluster fastball becoming a valuable weapon in his arsenal,” wrote Mountz. “As of today, the Red Sox are projected to enter the year with six starting options: Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Bryan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolto. It’s essential to note that the last four of these names carry considerable risk, and Crawford and Bello have already suffered injury setbacks in spring camp.”
Ortiz made 15 starts last season while coming out of the bullpen 22 other times. His ability as a swingman keeps him relevant even if the Red Sox’ preferred starters are all healthy. He has already been traded once this winter, from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Guardians. Meanwhile, Yoshida has not lived up to the expectations when he came from Nippon Professional Baseball.
Yoshida signed a five-year, $90 million deal in 2023. He hit 10 home runs and slashed .280/.349/.415 last season. He has 25 home runs in the last two seasons after averaging over 22 home runs in his last five NPB seasons.
“On the Guardians’ side, Cleveland has plenty of starters with Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, Triston Mckenzie, Logan Allen and Shane Bieber making his return in addition to Ortiz,” wrote Mountz. “Bringing in a quality hitter would round out a solid lineup. It’s important to remember there isn’t much of a market for a player that can’t field a position or hit for power. Especially given Boston’s situation with Yoshida’s contract and without a place for him in the lineup, Ortiz might be a fantastic return here.”
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