The Boston Red Sox have been scrambling ever since Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury. The team had hoped Rafael Devers would replace him as its primary first baseman, but he emphatically refused. They then promoted guys like Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard, hoping they could hold things down momentarily. Now, they've made a trade with the Los Angeles Angels, acquiring Ryan Noda in exchange for cash considerations.
On one hand, adding depth is never a bad thing, and that's exactly what this trade accomplishes. Noda can play first base, and who knows, maybe he can produce.
On the other hand, though, Red Sox fans want more than just added depth when this team should, in theory, be pushing for a postseason berth. Unfortunately, it feels as if a bigger trade isn't going to come very soon.
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Ryan Noda move is a tough one for Red Sox fans to get excited about
Noda has one real skill set: He gets on base. He had a .364 on-base percentage in 2023 for the Athletics, and even while he struggled in 2024, he had a 12.6 percent walk rate, which is well above league average. While getting on base a lot is objectively a good thing, and is more than what guys like Toro and Sogard can provide, Noda's ceiling is not where Red Sox fans want it to be.
Ultimately, while he had a promising rookie year back in 2023, he slashed .135/.255/.211 in 2024, and had just a .633 OPS in Triple-A Salt Lake for the Los Angeles Angels this season. The A's waived him after last season, and the Angels DFA'd him four days before this trade with the Red Sox. Again, he's simply nothing more than depth. He can offer a lot of pull-side power when he makes contact, but that contact has been all too rare given his sky-high whiff rate.
Even if he's a step up from the likes of Toro and Sogard, is he a step up from Kristian Campbell or a different external target? Probably not. That's why Red Sox fans are disappointed. Yes, it's tough to make an important trade in May, but it also isn't impossible. Given how weak the first base position is on this team, Red Sox fans need more than Noda to get them excited.