The Boston Red Sox were given a huge loss Friday night as part of a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins (box score). First baseman Triston Casas suffered from what manager Alex Cora described as a “severe knee injury” after landing awkwardly in his bag during two innings. Casas, who was brought out of the field, was trying to snatch an infield single.
“He worked so hard in the offseason, I know how he works,” Kora said after the game. “Everything he did in the offseason was preparing for this. He was looking forward to having a big season for us. It didn’t start the way he wanted, but he continued to crush and work.
The exact nature of Casas’ injury is unknown, as is the estimates from his recovery timetable. Still, Cora’s post-game comment suggests that the Red Sox have to do business for at least a while without a normal base move.
The 25-year-old Casas started the season late, but he was a productive batsman throughout his big league career. Certainly, he averaged 118 OPS+ and 29 home runs per 162 games to enter Friday’s contest. His presence in the Red Sox lineup is certainly something to be overlooked. Sadly, this is the nature of professional sports. The player gets injured and the team needs to adjust.
Who will the Red Sox rely on to fill Casus cleats in the cold corners? Early indications suggest that 28-year-old veteran Abraham Toro, who has a career with 80 OPS+, will call on Saturday to fill out Casas’ roster. However, below we have highlighted five options, including some external options that may be considered or considered in the equation over the next few weeks.
1. Romy González, Red Sox
González can benefit from the least friction of the person presented in this article. Not only is he already on an active roster, but to this day, he has earned a nod on one base every time the Red Sox oppose a left-handed starter. González also did well with these allocations, hitting .275/.341/.400 (109 OPS+) with five doubles. Of course, there are often good reasons why teams deploy productive batters in limited roles. In Gonzalez’s case, his struggles with the broken ball hamper his ability to provide much against the right pitcher. (He posted a .551 OPS in his big league career without the benefits of a squad.) The Red Sox seem to know what Gonzalez can and can’t, suggesting that they consider him part of the answer – that’s not all.
2. VaughnGrissom, Red Sox Triple A affiliate
Grissom is not a Worcester batsman that most people consider in response to Casas’ injuries. Nevertheless, he has some things he is working on his favor. For example, he not only has a spot on the roster of 40 players, but also has experience in majors and 1 base. Grissom has a walkout ratio of 11 to 25, but has so far reached 0.289/.373/.452 this season. He has mostly been disappointed since his promising debut in 2022, but he is only 24 years old and the Red Sox need to understand if he has a future on the big league roster before entering next spring without minor league options.
3. Roman Anthony, Triple A affiliate of the Red Sox
You knew at some point that Anthony’s name had to come out. He entered the spring, ranked by CBS Sports as the best prospect in the minor leagues, hitting .292/.417/.521 with five home runs, two stolen bases and as many walks (22) as he was struck out in Triple A Worcester (26). The Red Sox are persistent in deploying Anthony exclusively in the outfield. This means you will have to change courses with him or move other parts of the lineup to clear outfield space for him. Add a way that Anthony isn’t on the 40 roster yet. He doesn’t seem to be the first internal solution the Red Sox will throw at this issue.
Currently, you are moving to the external candidate section of the article. Please note: The following names will not impress you. In both cases, they are veterans stationed along with someone else’s Triple A affiliate. Typically, a team is willing to accommodate these types, as a sincere gesture or depending on the player who has an upward mobility clause, if another team has a spot on the big league roster.
It may not lead to exciting fantasies, but that is the reality of the situation. The club will not begin discussions on more meaningful players until later this month, or earlier. Maybe the Miami Marlins will sell for a higher price on Matt Marvis, or you could argue that the Baltimore Orioles want to abandon Ryan Mountcastle. I’m stuck with realism here.
4. John Singleton, Mets Triple A affiliate
Singleton seems to fit most of the needs of the Red Sox. He is a left-handed batsman who produced league average offense last year in his platoon role with the Houston Astros. He has scored .270/.426/.568 lines with seven home runs and roughly the same number of walks as strikeouts between his previous 23 triple-A games. He certainly isn’t going to splash Pete Alonso anytime soon. If the Red Sox are showing interest, we must imagine the Mets willing to ship him to Boston.
5. Mike Ford, Twin Triple A affiliate
Again, a no-frills veteran option. Ford started with a hit .233/.347/.477 this season with minors. This is a mark that Dominique Smith and Trey Mancini are among the best of other options. As an additional bonus, he’s not too far from the shockingly effective 2023 campaign, which posted 123 OPS+ with 251 plate appearances with the Seattle Mariners. The twins seem to have no reason to get in his way if the Red Sox want to add him.
