One of the biggest surprises of the offseason was the Boston Red Sox landing infielder Alex Bregman. Bregman’s bat is a great fit for Boston but he has only ever played third base which has been held down by Rafael Devers for the last eight years.
Difficult conversations everyone saw coming are still circulating around the Red Sox organization. Devers seems adamant about playing third base and Bregman claims he will play wherever manager Alex Cora decides to put him. Regardless of Devers’ wishes, at the end of the day it is Cora’s decision. Now it sounds like there could be an added factor that makes this whole situation even more difficult.
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Masatak Yoshida’s impact on Red Sox lineup decisions
The most likely scenario for the Red Sox in 2025 is to put Alex Bregman at second base and keep Rafael Devers at the hot corner. However, when these players need a day off or a lighter workload, an option would be to play one at third while using the other as a designated hitter. This is where another name enters the conversation; likely one you have not heard a lot of.
Masataka Yoshida came over to the Red Sox from Japan in 2023. Over the last two seasons (248 games), Yoshida hit .285 with 25 homers and 128 RBIs. Yoshida only appeared in 108 games a season ago after battling injury. The outfielder is currently in a throwing program and will not be 100 percent by Opening Day but very well could be in a Shohei Ohtani situation where he still has the ability to hit.
Masataka Yoshida gives Alex Cora something else to think about
If Yoshida continues to prove he has high value with a bat in his hands, Alex Cora may have no option but to plug him in the lineup, whether that be in the outfield or DH. Cora claims he has a lineup in mind, but doesn't want to show his hand too early.
“I have a pretty good idea of what I’m going to do. I’m just not going to share it with you guys,” said Cora. “But we have to make sure everything happens. It’s too early in spring [to announce anything]. It’s March 2. We’ve still got kids getting their first at-bats here. We’ll get there when we get there. Like I said, versatility is huge for me. And athleticism, that’s very important to me, too. We’ve just got to make sure we’re healthy, and we’re getting there.”
Devers will receive priority over Yoshida for obvious reasons, but Masataka's spring resurgance does give Cora something else to think about when moving Devers and Bregman around early this season.