With Rafael Devers locked up for the next decade, could the Red Sox turn to Triston Casas as their next target for a long-term extension?
Even though Casas has just 95 career plate appearances (and 32 days of service time) in the majors, it’s possible. Though Casas recently told WEEI’s Rob Bradford that he had not had any talks with the Red Sox, he appears to be just the kind of player the Red Sox want to discuss an early extension with. In December, after Xander Bogaerts bolted for the Padres, Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom made a point to say the organization needed to get back to prioritizing extensions with players who have not yet hit arbitration. In 2022, the club got one done with righty Garrett Whitlock. Casas, Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck and John Schreiber are candidates for deals this year.
- Sports betting is coming to the state of Massachusetts. Learn more about the anticipated online sportsbooks such as FanDuel MA and DraftKings MA
“One thing I definitely want us to be committed to is those types of early extensions that, if you go way back in Red Sox history, was a real part of the toolbox,” Bloom said. “Then it didn’t happen as much for a while. We obviously were able to do one this year with Garrett (Whitlock). It’s a very individual preference. It doesn’t mean that because you like a player or person, you can or should do one. Everybody has different preferences with those things. But it’s definitely something I think we should pursue more.”
Whitlock’s deal was the first extension the Red Sox gave to a player with less than three years of service time since Clay Buchholz signed a four-year, $29.945 million deal in April 2011. Before him, Jon Lester (5 years, $30M in 2009) and Dustin Pedroia (6 years, $40.5M in 2008) got early contracts. That doesn’t mean Bloom is unfamiliar with the benefits of such deals, which have become popular in recent years. In Tampa Bay, Bloom was part of a front office that constantly prioritized giving big contracts to young players. Perhaps the most notable deal during Bloom’s time with the Rays was the six-year, $17.5 million deal Evan Longoria signed in 2008 after playing just six games in the majors. During Bloom’s tenure, Tampa Bay also locked up Matt Moore, Chris Archer and Brandon Lowe when they had less than one year of service time. The Rays continued that pattern last winter when they locked up Wander Franco on an 11-year, $182 million extension after he had played just 70 games. That was the first deal worth more than $100 million for a player with less than one year of service time.
Pre-arbitration deals for rookies are becoming more commonplace, as Aaron Ashby (Brewers), Luis Robert (White Sox), Evan White (Mariners), David Bote (Cubs), Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves) and Eloy Jimenez (White Sox) have all joined Whitlock, Franco and Lowe in signing deals while having less than a year of service time since 2019. Casas could be next.
Casas is projected to be arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2026 and hit free agency after the 2028 season, meaning the Red Sox have him under control for six more seasons. Though his free agency is a long way off, the Red Sox, more than perhaps any other club in baseball, know the challenges of trying to lock up stars once they get close to testing the open market.
The Red Sox will likely have at least some discussions with Casas about a deal in the near future in an attempt to add options or guaranteed years that extend their control over him. It’s important to remember, however, that these types of deals sometimes aren’t easy to get done because both sides are assuming a significant amount of risk. Teams are committing significant resources to players who are largely unproven and players might be sacrificing future earning potential by accepting early contracts. Having a player interested in talking is half the battle.
In the case of Casas, the Red Sox may have a legitimate chance to get something done. Though his agents ultimately hold the cards, it sounds like the 23-year-old is open to listening.
“I would love to stay in Boston the rest of my life,” Casas told Bradford. “I love the city in the little taste I’ve got of it. I don’t know anywhere else and I don’t want to. We’ll see what happens in a couple of years. Hopefully we get something done, but if we don’t we’ll go from there.”
Ad Choices