It was officially announced on Saturday afternoon that Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas was transferred to the 60-day IL. He ruptured his left patellar tendon earlier in May and will miss the remainder of the 2025 season. Losing Casas will be a big blow for this Red Sox offense, as the 25-year-old slugger holds a career .800 OPS. Speculation of how the Red Sox will replace him has already begun.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently brought up an option for the Sox when he wrote, “If the Boston Red Sox are still looking for a first baseman at the trade deadline, Rhys Hoskins of the Milwaukee Brewers could be the perfect fit. Hoskins, a free agent after the season, will be available if the Brewers aren’t in the playoff hunt.”
While Nightengale is speculating, the trade idea has considerable merit.
Why Rhys Hoskins Works for the Red Sox
Hoskins checks a lot of boxes as a potential trade piece. First off, it’s the obvious position of need for the Sox. Their current options at first base are Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard. Toro has been solid, but both his and Sogard’s career numbers show there’s much to be desired. Both have career OPSs under .650. They don’t appear to be the answer at first.
However, Rhys Hoskins has the offensive prowess to replace Triston Casas. Throughout his eight-year career, he’s been very effective at the plate. He would bring a lot of pop to Boston with his career OPS of .828. On top of that, he’s averaged 34 home runs per 162 games. Place that natural right-handed power in Fenway Park, and those numbers could skyrocket. Hoskins is the perfect trade candidate for the Red Sox.
Why the Brewers Should Trade Hoskins
As it stands, the Brewers are on the outside of the playoff picture with their 27-28 record. It’s still early on in the season, but it seems more unlikely than not that the Brewers will be sellers at the deadline. Hoskins is expected to be one of the pieces they will trade away. Next season, he will have a mutual option for $18 million. He should command a decent amount of prospect capital, and the Brewers typically like to move guys before they have to pay them, as we’ve seen with the recent Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes, and Devin Williams trades. He’s 32 years old and the exact kind of guy the Brewers like to move off of.
Alternative Options for the Red Sox
We know where this one is going. If the Sox can’t acquire a Rhys Hoskins or another first baseman via trade, they have a certain corner infielder in Rafael Devers who could take over the spot. Now, Devers has already said he doesn’t want to move to first. But ultimately, it’s what the team needs. Still, Devers has picked up on the offensive end and has been the main catalyst for the Red Sox as their Designated Hitter.
It makes way more sense to keep Devers as happy as possible and make the move for the power-hitting righty. It will boost the offense tremendously and could result in this squad improving enough to reach the playoffs.
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