Triston Casas did not have the 2025 season he expected; his on-field production wasn't what he or the Red Sox hoped, and then a knee injury likely ended his season.
Nolan Arenado hasn't had the season he expected either, but that's mostly because he still plays for the St. Louis Cardinals, which didn't seem like a possibility with how overtly the franchise was being about attempting to trade him this winter.
Arenado's on-field production, though, has been good enough, though not remarkable. His advanced hitting numbers are all slightly above league average and his defense remains high-level.
No, the Red Sox should not trade for Arenado. He doesn't really solve the problems that arise from losing Casas, and he'd be forced into a position he's not familiar with.
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The solution for replacing Triston Casas is not Nolan Arenado
Boston is set at third base, with Alex Bregman manning the hot corner as well as pretty much anyone. Rafael Devers is the team's every day DH, so Arenado would likely be forced into playing first base, a position he's never played before. He's been a good enough fielder his whole life that it probably wouldn't be a disaster, but the fit would still be clunky.
Arenado is also an aging veteran who missed today's game with back spasms, and he would still likely cost a prospect to acquire — Boston's roster probably isn't one player away from contention, so it might not be worth it to pick up Arenado, whose fit already looks less than seamless. Seamful?
Alex Cora says Devers will not play first base... probably
With Bregman at third base and Casas out for the season, Red Sox manager Alex Cora doesn't sound too open to Rafael Devers playing first base. He hasn't fully dismissed it, but it doesn't seem like Devers will be at first any time soon.
"It's not that easy"
— WEEI Afternoons (@WEEIAfternoons) May 7, 2025
Red Sox manager Alex Cora explains that moving Rafael Devers to first base isn't as simple as everyone is making it out to be pic.twitter.com/ePOjt2olxN
"It's not gonna happen tomorrow... it's not gonna happen in five days," Cora said on WEEI.
So as it stands, Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez will continue to split duties at first base. It's not ideal, but it won't be solved with Nolan Arenado in the mix, either.