PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 15: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox hits a double during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 15, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) Getty
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 04: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Fenway Park on August 04, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) Getty
The Boston Red Sox 's playoff run came to a quick end on Wednesday night with their 9-2 loss to the New York Yankees in Game 2.
The Red Sox simply had an atrocious AL Wild Card series against the Yankees. They were not only swept but also outscored 18-2.
Clearly, the Red Sox have some real work to do if they hope to be true contenders. With this, it would not be shocking if they shake up their roster this offseason.
Because of this, one of Boston's notable players has already entered the rumor mill as an offseason trade candidate.
In a recent article for FanSided , Christopher Kline predicted that the Red Sox will trade Masataka Yoshida during the offseason.
"The contract has made it hard to trade him, but Yoshida is a free agent after the 2027 season," Kline wrote. "Boston might need to eat some of Yoshida's $18.6 million salary, or attach prospect capital to get him off the books, but a salary dump is finally a logistical possibility. Given the depth of quality position players on Boston's roster, wasting a 26-man spot on Yoshida is less than ideal. This could be the offseason that Boston finally finds a taker on the trade front."
Seeing Yoshida be named a trade candidate is not difficult to understand. He has been in the rumor mill for a long time, and it makes sense for Boston to deal him.
GettyPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 15: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox hits a double during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 15, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Yoshida appeared in 87 regular season games for Boston during the 2026 season. During them, he posted five home runs, 16 doubles, 28 RBI, and a .274 batting average. This was after he had four home runs, 26 RBI, and a .266 batting average in 55 games for Boston in 2025.
Yoshida did not make an appearance during Boston's horrible playoff series against the Yankees. This is because he is currently dealing with a hamstring strain.
Yoshida is entering the final season of his five-year, $90 million contract in 2027. With this, it would make sense if Boston looked to deal him if they do not view him as a long-term part of their plans.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 04: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Fenway Park on August 04, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
With the Red Sox having a surplus of MLB-caliber outfielders, it would be understandable if they traded Yoshida. He is a solid player and could be used as a trade chip to help improve their roster elsewhere.
Due to this, Yoshida will be a player to keep a close eye on during the offseason. It will be intriguing to see if Boston ends up trading him from here. He could be a nice pickup for teams looking for help at DH or in the outfield.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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