Red Sox Still Have Slim Chance to Trade $90M Veteran: 'Can't Be Ruled Out'

Is this the roster the Red Sox will carry all season?

May 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A bag of baseballs sits on the diamond before a game against between the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The last week of the offseason will bring a few necessary decisions for the Boston Red Sox, but most aren't all that consequential.

Deciding which reliever will be the eighth man in the bullpen won't stay at the front of fans' minds for long. However, if there's anything the Red Sox could still do that would move the needle, it would probably involve trading away Masataka Yoshida.

Yoshida trades have been discussed ad nauseam in Red Sox circles for multiple seasons now, and if Boston had found a deal to its liking by now, it likely would have happened. Should we still keep our guard up for a deal going down in the near future?

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Insider talks Yoshida trade potential

Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On Friday, MassLive's Chris Cotillo expressed a belief that Yoshida could still be traded in a scenario where another team suddenly capitulates to the desires they've been expressing whenever the topic of a trade has been broached.

"The entire baseball world knows Yoshida is a poor fit for Boston’s roster as a left-handed hitting outfielder with limited defensive capabilities," Cotillo wrote. "He’s clearly behind Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu on the depth chart.

"The Red Sox have been (unable) to move Yoshida (and his sizable contract) despite trying for years but will likely keep trying to clear the logjam. Timing makes such a move difficult, but it can’t be fully ruled out."

Moving Yoshida would take a reliable contact bat out of the roster picture, but as of now, he'd be scrapping for at-bats as the backup designated hitter. There's incentive for the Red Sox to figure out a way to get the last two seasons of his five-year, $90 million contract off the books.

But that's the same conversation we've been having about Yoshida for at least the last calendar year. It's not that we believe the 32-year-old is destined to finish out his entire tenure with the Red Sox, but it's currently still difficult to see the finish line.