Red Sox immediate Triston Casas replacement could not be bigger dropoff at the plate

The Boston Red Sox got their first taste of life without Triston Casas on Tuesday and it wasn't fun.

Casas is going to miss several weeks of action while recovering from a rib fracture. In his absence, the Red Sox are planning to rely on Bobby Dalbec to fill the gap, according to Rob Bradford.

The problem is, Dalbec isn't the most encouraging replacement. As Tyler Milliken pointed out on Twitter, he came into Tuesday's game slashing .033/.121/.067 with an OPS+ of -44. Compare that with Casas' .244/.344/.512 and OPS+ of 142 and try not to cry

Dalbec got two at-bats against the Guardians, going 0-for-2 before being replaced by Reese McGuire in the eighth inning. Defense was never his issue and he proved that with a stretching grab on a liner to prevent a run. However, there were no signs that his struggles at the plate are nearing an end. The best thing you could say about the appearance is he didn't strike out at least.

Red Sox should pick up Garrett Cooper instead of relying on Bobby Dalbec

Dalbec may have been a promising prospect a few years ago but he's had ample opportunity to prove he can be an everyday player. He's fallen short each time. At least there was good power in 2021 when he hit 25 home runs. Since then he's been a strikeout machine without producing much else.

Turning to Dalbec in the immediate term makes sense. Sticking with Dalbec for the duration of Casas' absence would be a giant mistake, especially with at least one good solution out there.

The Cubs DFA'd Garrett Cooper on Tuesday. The former Marlins All-Star was having a good start to the season, batting .270/.341/.432 with an OPS+ of 115. Circumstances essentially forced Chicago into dropping him with Matt Mervis earning promotion.

The timing couldn't have been better for the Red Sox, who reportedly looked into Cooper before the season. He's an obviously better solution to the Casas injury than standing pat with Dalbec.