With Triston Casas Out For The Season, The Red Sox Need A First Baseman

On Friday night, Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas collapsed as he ran to first base trying to beat out a slow roller back to the mound. After being carted off the field in obvious pain, Casas was taken to the hospital for examination. There it was discovered that he had torn the patellar tendon on his left knee. Casas had surgery on Sunday, and will be out for the remainder of the season. This is a huge blow to the Red Sox, who had great expectations for the slugging lefty, especially after he missed 98 games last season with a fractured rib. Casas was off to a slow start at the plate, slashing only .182/.277/.303, with just three home runs. But, he was still seen a key cog in Boston’s potent offense.

With Casas sidelined, the question of what the Red Sox should do has become a parlor game in the Back Bay. MLB Trade Rumors actually put out a poll asking fans what they think the team should do. Jen McCafffrey at The Athletic wrote a great rundown of the options. Here are just a few of the ideas that have been bandied about:

In-House Options

Rafael Devers: All off-season there was talk of signing Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman and moving Devers over to first. Devers has consistently ranked as one of the worst defensive third baseman in the league, and the idea was to keep him in the lineup and engaged. One player who voiced opposition to that move was Casas – ostensibly so he could keep his job. Rather than move Devers to first, the Red Sox elected to make him their full-time designated hitter, much to his initial chagrin. But, he has grown accustomed to being a one-way player, and while president of baseball operations Craig Breslow says that everything is on the table, Alex Cora has ruled out fitting Devers for a first baseman’s mitt.

Kristian Campbell: Campbell has been a wonder, winning the American League Rookie of the Month for April. He is currently slashing .290/.394/.477, for a 145 OPS+, and holding his own at second base. But, his rise through the minors was so quick that he never got the chance to play multiple positions, or to stick at just one. He has always been a man without a home. His athletic build, versatility, and quickness, make it seem like a shift a little farther to the right side of the infield would be doable. Moving Campbell from second would not leave any holes, as the Red Sox have many additional options up the middle, including one referenced below.

Roman Anthony: Anthony is the Red Sox’ top prospect, and has been crushing the ball at Triple-A (.294/.410/.495). Even before Casas went down, there was talk of Anthony coming up. Good news/bad news, Boston’s outfield is performing well, and with Devers at DH, there is no place for Anthony. The 6’3”, 200-pound slugger has never played first base in a professional game. Does that he can’t? Jake Mintz, on the Baseball Bar-B-Cast podcast suggested that the Worceseter Woo-Sox put Anthony at first base every game for the next three weeks to see if the transition is possible. There are no bad ideas in a brainstorm, and this seems like a great one. And yet, Breslow appears to have shot this down (see below).

Marcelo Mayer: Boston’s #3 prospect has played his whole career at either shortstop, second, or third. Could he play first? Who’s to say. Would he take to the position faster and better than Campbell? No one knows. But Mayer has also been tearing up the minors, slugging .491, and is just waiting for his chance to play at Fenway. I am sure he would gladly do so at first base. But Breslow, when discussing both Mayer and Anthony, said: “… given the bright futures that they have ahead of them at their respective positions, introducing additional variables doesn’t make a ton of sense right now.”

Vaughn Grissom: Acquired from the Atlanta Braves in return for Chris Sale, Vaughn has not yet earned his keep. He was injured last season, and then didn’t make the big club out of spring training. He is doing fine in Worcester this year, slashing .276/.354/.422, with eleven extra base hits. While he, too, has never played first base, he would appear to have the athletic ability to make the move. Do the Red Sox want to give him a chance to prove himself at the bat by giving him a new glove?

Acquisition Opportunities

Last season, when Casas went down with a rib injury, the team quickly acquired Dominic Smith. He could not have been more average. In 84 games, he had a 97 OPS+ and accrued 0.0 bWAR. But because the club was aggressive then, there is talk they could be aggressive now. There are two names that leap out as potential acquisitions:

Yuli Gurriel: Gurriel was recently designated for assignment by the San Diego Padres and elected to become a free agent. He hasn’t been a productive hitter since 2021; since that season, he has slashed .238/.283/.347 for -1.3 bWAR, while playing for four different teams. This seems like a horrible shot in the dark.

Anthony Rizzo: Wouldn’t this just be poetic? Boston drafted Rizzo in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, but he never made it to the majors. In 2010, he was traded to the Padres (with three other prospects) in exchange for first baseman Adrián González. After playing one season in San Diego, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs, where the legend of Rizzo took off. He was an integral piece of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship. After 9+ years on the North Side, Chicago traded Rizzo to the New York Yankees at the deadline in 2021. There he was a cornerstone of the Yankees’ lineup, and had 79 plate appearances over 20 post-season games, with an .878 OPS. His production has fallen off the last two seasons, and he refused to take any offer this off-season that was below his asking price. But, with the season underway, and with him still unemployed, if his original team came calling, would he take less money to finally get the chance to play for the Red Sox?

Current Plans

For now, Boston plans to run out Romy González and Abraham Toro to first base. This is less than ideal. González has a career OPS of .676, with an 87 OPS+. He is well below-average. Toro is even worse, with a .637 OPS and an 80 OPS+.

These are the Boston Red Sox. They have the talent on the farm and the means in the front office to do better. There are a lot of options on the table. None, admittedly, perfect. But it still early enough in the season for the team to experiment with something and/or someone unconventional. Heck, have Trevor Story or Wilyer Abreau ever played first base? (Answer: No, but they probably could.)