Red Sox 'Who Says No?' Trade Idea Gets 18 HR First Baseman For No. 2 Prospect
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Since May 2, when Triston Casas stumbled over the first base bag running out a grounder, tore the patellar tendon in his left knee and was lost for the season, the Boston Red Sox have been in need of a first baseman.
Journeyman Abraham Toro has filled in admirably, playing 53 games at first and putting up a respectable if not spectacular .729 OPS with five home runs.
But over the last week, Toro has begun to show why at age 28 he is playing for his fifth team in seven years, collecting just two hits and a walk in his last 17 trips to the plate.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Jhostynxon Garcia #91 of the Boston Red Sox walks into the dugout before an exhibition game against the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on March 14,...
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Jhostynxon Garcia #91 of the Boston Red Sox walks into the dugout before an exhibition game against the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on March 14, 2025 in Fort Myers, Florida. More
Maddie Malhotra/BostonRomy Gonzalez has also filled in with 36 appearances first, but the righty-swinging 28-year-old is primarily a weapon against left-handed pitching — which he has battered to the tune of a 1.041 OPS and five homers in 94 plate appearances.
Gonzalez has also hit the skids lately, with just one hit in his last 22 plate appearances. Granted, that one his was his first career grand slam. But outside of that lone swing, Gonzalez, a 2018 18th-round draft pick who was placed on waivers by the Chicago White Sox last season, seems to be reaching his sell-by date.
The hosts of the popular, Audacy Network-affiliated Red Sox podcast "Play Tessie" presented an idea for solving Boston's first base issue in the popular "Who Says No?" segment of their Monday program.
Their idea would bring in Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Yandy Diaz, a Cuban native who has compiled an .807 career OPS in nine big league seasons, while sending the Rays the No. 2 overall prospect in the Red Sox system.
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Diaz has played only 13 games in the field this season, but as recently as last year was at first base for 112 games, his fourth straight season of more than 100 games at the position. This season, the Tampa Bay veteran has knocked 18 home runs with an .816 OPS.
Just two years ago, Diaz was an All-Star and American League batting champion, with a .330 average.
"I like Yandy now and I like him on the roster for the years following," said "Play Tessie" co-host Pat Brown on the Monday show. "The reason I say that is because obviously this year you get the bat in there, which he slots in so nicely into the top four in that lineup. It's perfect. It's an overall offensive improvement at first base."
Diaz also comes with another season of team control. The two-year contract he signed with the Rays pays him $10 million this season and $12 million next season. But the Red Sox, if they acquired Diaz, would have the option to keep him around for a third season at $10 million.
The price for 2027 would jump to $13 million if Diaz records 500 plate appearances next year, and passes his physical exam.
In return, the "Play Tessie" hosts propose, the Red Sox would send Tampa Bay a prospect to help them build for the future — outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, who comes with the nickname "The Password" in honor of the seemingly impossible spelling of his given name.
The 22-year-old Garcia — signed out of Venezuela in 2019 for a relatively modest $350,000 bonus — suddenly emerged as a top prospect last year after struggling through his first three years in the Boston farm system.
Rapidly advancing from low Single-A to High-A to Double-A in the course of a single season, Garcia belted 23 home runs with a robust .892 OPS across all three levels.
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He has continued to make a strong impression this year at Triple-A Worcester, with 11 homers and an .888 OPS in the 48 games since his promotion on May 19.
But with a excess of outfielders at the major league level, the Red Sox may see Garcia as prime trade material rather than as a prospect for their own club.
With Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Cedanne Rafaela, top rookie Roman Anthony, Rob Refsnyder and Masataka Yoshida all in rotation for the four outfield/designated hitter spots, "The Password" may simply need a reset with a new organization.
More MLB: This Rays Star Slugger Would Be 'Perfect Fit' For Red Sox, Insider Says
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