Red Sox Could Trade Triston Casas For $56 Million Cy Young Winner, Per Insider

If the Boston Red Sox don't trade Triston Casas this winter, that sadly doesn't mean the trade speculation is going to go away automatically.

The slugging first baseman is on a quest to prove himself as one of the game's best left-handed bats in 2025, after losing four months of his sophomore season to a fractured rib. But surprisingly enough, it doesn't seem certain that he'll get to do so in Boston.

Despite hitting 43 home runs with an .830 OPS in his first 222 career games, Casas has widely been reported to be involved in trade talks this winter, though nothing has come from those talks. The Red Sox may be too left-handed as a whole, but is Casas really the right bat to give up?

They'd better get something really good for him if so.

Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 National League Cy Young winner with the Miami Marlins, has been a popular name thrown around in trade discussions as well, though Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reiterated Thursday that the righty has been assured he won't be traded before the season starts.

The news of Alcantara's timeline, however, did not prevent MassLive reporter Sean McAdam from throwing out a hypothetical midseason deal on Friday morning: Casas for Alcantara, perhaps straight-up?

"According to an industry source, the Marlins would prefer waiting until the deadline before making Alcantara available, feeling that’s the best way to maximize their return," McAdam wrote.

"In time, a Triston Casas-for-Alcantara swap might make sense for both teams: the Red Sox would be getting another top-of-the-rotation arm with the potential for 2.5 years of control at reasonable money, while the Marlins would be getting a power-hitting first baseman with control through the 2028 season, and one who is from south Florida."

Alcantara, 29, is under contract for two more seasons, plus a club option, totaling just under $56 million. He threw nine complete games from 2022 to 2023 and led Major League Baseball in innings pitched in the former year with 228.

Casas is about to turn 25, has four remaining years of team control, and has looked like an elite power hitter at times. It's hard to remember another time that a youngster who's shown this much promise, and has this much remaining time under contract, has received so much trade buzz.

Alcantara, at his best, would be one of the few players trading Casas for would make a decent amount of sense. But with any pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery (although the trade would likely happen midseason), there's an inherent risk involved.

More MLB: Red Sox Veteran Predicted To Join AL Rival After Turning Down $21 Million Reunion