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Why MLB insider thinks Masataka Yoshida is ‘DFA waiting to happen’
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- Why MLB insider thinks Masataka Yoshida is ‘DFA waiting to happen’
Masataka Yoshida made the Red Sox Opening Day roster, but it’s unclear how much playing time he will get .
The designated hitter missed most of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery in 2024. In his limited playing time, Yoshida hasn’t shown the power a full-time DH usually has, and his time in the outfield left much to be desired.
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“He seems like a DFA waiting to happen,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said on “Foul Territory.”
Yoshida had a strong first half in 2023 with .316 average, a .382 on-base percentage, .492 slugging percentage, .874 OPS, 10 home runs, 19 doubles, two triples and 44 RBI in 78 games. But Yoshida hasn’t been able to replicate that since.
The 32-year-old is not in Boston’s Opening Day lineup . He’ll likely make his 2026 debut Sunday.
“There is no place for Masataka Yoshida on the Red Sox . There simply isn’t,” Rosenthal said . “Now, he might be on the team, but he’s not going to play. Why? They have four outfielders. Wilyer Abreu , Jarren Duran , Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela , all quality players. You need the DH spot for one of those guys. You’re not going to play Yoshida very often over one of those players.”
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Yoshida’s contract will likely make a trade difficult. He’s due $37.2 million over the next two seasons.
What will make Yoshida’s spot on the roster even more at risk is when Triston Casas returns at some point this season. The first baseman is rehabbing from a serious knee injury suffered last May.
“Honestly, for his own benefit, he needs to get out of there. He needs to go be in a position where he can play again,” Rosenthal said of Yoshida . “And that would be beneficial to him and ultimately for the Red Sox too, though they’re going to have to pay him.”
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