The Purple Sox entered the 2025 season with massive expectations after including Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman to a workforce that already had Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer all knocking on the door. Thus far, issues haven’t gone fairly as easily as followers in Boston had been certainly hoping. Whereas the membership is simply two video games again within the AL East, that’s with a lackluster 18-18 file thanks partially to spotty well being within the rotation behind Crochet. The harm bug has now moved onto the lineup as Triston Casas has undergone season-ending surgical procedure on his knee.
The 25-year-old was anticipated to be a significant piece of the membership’s lineup this yr, however his marketing campaign is now over earlier than it ever actually acquired going. Casas’s 112 plate appearances this yr had been subpar, as he hit simply .182/.277/.303 throughout 29 video games earlier than happening with harm. These struggles had been principally fueled by a low .217 BABIP that was certain to rebound given time, nevertheless, and there was little cause to assume Casas wouldn’t finally expertise sufficient constructive regression and end the yr in that vary of a 125 wRC+, which was his profession mark coming into 2025. Now, in fact, he gained’t get that chance.
With out Casas locking down first base, the Purple Sox don’t have many apparent options they will depend on to take up the lion’s share of taking part in time on the place. Romy Gonzalez was off to a sizzling begin (133 wRC+) to open the yr in a part-time position, however his .421 BABIP is totally unsustainable and he’s by no means hit at an excellent league common degree earlier than in his profession. Gonzalez is at present slated to share time with Abraham Toro at first base within the short-term, however the switch-hitter has a equally lackluster profession 81 wRC+ whereas taking part in principally in part-time capacities across the AL West through the years. Depth choices on the minor league degree are equally uninspiring. Vaughn Grissom was a high prospect within the not-too-distant previous however has but to ascertain himself on the massive league degree. Blake Sabol has not less than just a little expertise at first base, however didn’t hit in any respect in a quick call-up earlier this yr.
None of these choices seem doubtless to supply even common manufacturing at first base this yr for the Purple Sox. That might lead the membership to search for exterior additions, however these choices is probably not considerably higher than their present inside group. In any case, groups are usually reluctant to swing vital trades this removed from the commerce deadline, so exterior additions would doubtless be restricted to non-roster gamers in different organizations like Mike Ford, Dominic Smith, or Jon Singleton until they will persuade a participant like Anthony Rizzo to renew his taking part in profession at this late level within the calendar. Any of these choices may make sense as a lefty complement to Gonzalez, and Smith specifically was used as a stopgap by the Purple Sox simply final yr with some success.
Maybe they may even pry an ancillary 40-man participant away with out a clear path to taking part in time away from one other group. Jake Bauers (Brewers) and former Purple Sox Justin Turner (Cubs) are each taking part in in bench roles within the NL Central. Boston’s former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom now works for the Cardinals, who’ve Luken Baker on the roster however with out a lot taking part in time to supply. Juan Yepez is on the Nationals’ 40-man roster however at present taking part in the minors. Any of these exterior choices may doubtless be extra productive than the membership’s inside group of first basemen, however going outdoors of the group would require understanding a commerce with one other membership who is probably not inclined to sacrifice their very own depth, significantly within the case of gamers already on the 40-man roster, and so they’re hardly influence choices themselves for a workforce that sorely wants a lift.
One method to change Casas with a participant who can provide a extra impactful ceiling could be to maneuver among the membership’s present expertise to first base. Rafael Devers acquired got rid of third base by the Bregman signing and is at present the on a regular basis DH in Boston. Maybe he could possibly be shifted to first base, opening up DH for both Anthony or Mayer to make the leap to the large leagues. Another choice could be to get Anthony or Mayer common reps at first within the coming days forward of a promotion within the close to future. Even perhaps Masataka Yoshida, who has been sidelined this yr after shoulder surgical procedure hampered his capacity to make throws within the outfield, may deal with first base and make a faster return from the injured record.
Any of these gamers could be a reasonably definitive offensive improve over both the membership’s inside choices already conversant in the place or any practical exterior additions at this level within the calendar. The issue with that plan, nevertheless, is that none of these gamers have ever performed first base as knowledgeable. Whereas the place is pretty low on the defensive spectrum, asking a defensively-limited participant like Devers to choose up a wholly new place on the fly appears dangerous, as could be the case for asking both Mayer or Anthony to stability studying a brand new place with the changes and struggles that may usually include a younger participant’s first call-up to the majors.
That’s why, as famous by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo over the weekend, Purple Sox brass have indicated that they don’t intend to maneuver anybody to first base on the fly. That, in fact, may change. The overall expectation when the Purple Sox signed Bregman was that he would play second base and Devers would stay at third, and that modified pretty rapidly after Spring Coaching started. It’s not out of the realm of risk that the membership finds itself unhappy with the choices at its disposal and finally begins having one of many membership’s different gamers taking grounders at first.
How do MLBTR readers anticipate Boston to handle the emptiness at first base? Will they follow their present group of choices, discover somebody from outdoors the group, or transfer considered one of their very own gamers to first? Have your say within the ballot beneath:
