MLB Trade Rumors: 3 Landing Spots For Red Sox Red-Hot Masataka Yoshida

It seems like the Boston Red Sox have been ready to move on from Japanese DH Masataka Yoshida for over a year. After handing him a five-year, $90 million deal to lure him over from Japan, Yoshida has seen his numbers consistently fade year over year since a decent rookie campaign in 2023. He spent most of last season on the injured list, playing in only 55 games, and seeing his OPS drop to .696. A shoulder injury has really derailed his time with Boston.

With four legit outfielders to fit into the lineup, the BoSox could certainly use that DH spot to fill with one of them.

Currently, Yoshida is off to a red-hot start at the World Baseball Classic for Japan, and his trade value might be at a three-year high.

MASATAKA YOSHIDA GIVES TEAM JAPAN THE LEAD! #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC pic.twitter.com/j6EM0RTwWc
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026

In three games for Japan in the WBC, in10 at-bats, Yoshida is 5-for-10 with four runs, one double, two homers and six RBIs.

If the Sox decide to sell high now, there are three teams that could make sense as a trade partner, as proposed by Chris Landers of Fansided.

Houston Astros

The Red Sox and Astros have been talking trade quite a bit this offseason, centered around how to get infielder Isaac Paredes to Boston. He comes into the year not having a full-time regular spot in the Houston lineup, as Carlos Correa has taken his 3B job. And it just so happens the BoSox could use a regular 3B (or 2B, depending on where Caleb Durbin plays). "Yoshida is an above-average lefty bat that would lengthen Houston's lineup and survive well enough in the tiny left-field confines of Daikin Park," writes Landers.

New York Mets

The Mets have an opening for a hitter like Yoshida, either in the outfield or at DH. And Landers figures that Mark Vientos could be the return going the other way. "A move to Fenway Park might be exactly what he needs to revive a once-promising career."

Seattle Mariners

Are they done finessing their offensive lineup yet? It seems like Yoshida would be an improvement at the plate for filling the last available outfield spot. Currently, the plan in Seattle is to go with Victor Robles or Luke Raley or even some combination of them. The "Japanese Juan Soto" as he's sometimes called (by overzealous fans), Yoshida provides elite contact skills, low strikeout rates, and power to all fields when he's healthy. Like we said, a vast improvement over Robles or Raley.