Red Sox's Alex Cora Addresses Possibility of Masataka Yoshida Trade

Trade rumors are inevitable when a team has as many capable position players as the Boston Red Sox.

Heading into the final two weeks of spring training, the Red Sox have four immensely talented outfielders, and it seems that on most days, Roman Anthony or Jarren Duran could serve as the designated hitter. However, that lineup construction would leave Masataka Yoshida on the bench.

Yoshida's first three years in a Red Sox uniform weren't what he or the team were hoping for, and with two more years under contract, it's fair to say he might have been traded by now were it not for his $18 million luxury tax hit for the next two years. It would be foolish to assume that a trade couldn't still happen, in fact.

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Alex Cora speaks on Yoshida trade potential

Cora, Yoshida — Mar 28, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (7) greets manager Alex Cora before a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Manager Alex Cora wouldn't be the man responsible for trading away Yoshida; that would be chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. But earlier this week, Cora seemingly hinted at the notion that a trade wouldn't be out of the question

“I don’t know about trade value,” Cora said, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “He’s a good hitter, right?”

Yoshida dominated the four games of pool play for Team Japan at the World Baseball Classic, helping to cement his legacy as one of the best hitters in the event's history. The ball has been leaving his bat with much more force over the last couple of weeks than was typical for most of the last 2 1/2 years in Boston.

But Cora has also seen firsthand that Yoshida's shoulder issues have prevented him from living up to expectations at the plate for Boston, even if a fully healthy and productive Yoshida wouldn't necessarily be a perfect fit for this roster, either.

It wasn't that the skipper was speculating that a trade was becoming more likely, or that the Red Sox needed to capitalize on the momentum of Yoshida's WBC run. That stuff, Cora would argue, is for the fans and the media to run with.

All Yoshida can do is make the most of whatever opportunities he gets, whichever team he might be playing for. And all Cora can do is manage his roster, whether Yoshida is on it or not.