The Red Sox have reportedly heard from the Marlins about Triston Casas and Boston can make a trade package to get Pablo Lopez back from Miami.
It’s been a disappointing offseason for the Boston Red Sox if you’re a fan. The team lost fan-favorite and home-grown shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency through their own doing. To make matters worse, the moves that the team has made under Chaim Bloom have been lackluster overall, aside from landing Masataka Yoshida out of Japan.
But it seems as if they might be part of some early 2023 fireworks in MLB — or at least they could be.
Craig Mish and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported on Monday that the Miami Marlins have made their interest clear in first baseman Triston Casas, Boston’s No. 2 overall prospect entering 2022 who made his MLB debut this past season for the Sox. As a young controllable bat with power and upside, he fits the bill for the Marlins. In return, though, one name that’s been floated immediately in return has been right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez.
So that begs the question of what a deal swapping Pablo Lopez and Triston Casas would look like for the Red Sox and Marlins. There are several machinations at play, but we have at least one idea.
Red Sox trade package for Pablo Lopez, Triston Casas deal
Given that Boston has also reportedly shown interest in Joey Wendle in other trade talks with Miami, it would only make sense to include him in well as this deal. As such, this is what the Red Sox potential trade package to the Marlins could look like.
Red Sox Get
RHP Pablo Lopez
IF Joey Wendle
Marlins Get
1B Triston Casas
RHP Zack Kelly (No. 25 prospect)
SS/UT Christian Koss (No. 34 prospect)
In truth, it’s hard to discern how this deal would shape up. Lopez isn’t an ace for a pitching staff but he’s a high-end starter who could be an elite No. 2 on most staffs. Meanwhile, Casas has loads of potential that he flashed after being called up this past season, but he’s far less proven than a player like Lopez.
As such, with the Red Sox getting a stud like Lopez and a quality utility infielder like Wendle, Boston would send one of the best young talents in Casas along with two Top 35 prospects in Zack Kelly and Christian Koss, both of whom are in their mid-20s but also are buried in the organization because of their position right now.
For Boston, the big question would be the next move at first base, particularly with Eric Hosmer now gone. They could start Bobby Dalbec or Christian Arroyo, but that idea has soured in recent years. But getting another reliable starter who’s proven in the majors would be huge for an overall young, unproven rotation. Meanwhile, Wendle and his versatility could help fill the void left by Bogaerts’ departure.
In the case of Miami, they’d get their target in Casas while also adding further to the farm system with two players close to the majors and who could be looking at an opportunity soon.
Obviously, this wouldn’t be the exact trade as we don’t know the dealings between the front offices, but this would undoubtedly make sense as a framework for what the Red Sox would have to send along with Triston Casas to end up with Pablo Lopez and Joey Wendle.