On the 28th (Korean time), Boston excluded Yoshida from its 26-man roster for the season opener against the Texas Rangers. Yoshida was placed on the injured list for 15 days due to right shoulder surgery and, as Alex Cora, the Boston manager, noted on the 24th, he will begin the season with rehabilitation games with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.
The rationale is to give him recovery time until he is capable of playing outfield defense. After undergoing right shoulder surgery last season and rehabilitating, Yoshida participated in exhibition games starting from the 3rd. He played only as a designated hitter in all 11 games, recording a batting average of .286 (10 hits in 35 at-bats), 1 home run, 7 RBIs, no walks, and 8 strikeouts, with an on-base percentage of .286 and a slugging percentage of .400, totaling an OPS of .686.
He worked on his hitting without taking the field for defense. Due to shoulder rehabilitation, he was only capable of throwing up to 100 feet (30.5m), so there was no spot for him on the opening roster unless he played as a designated hitter. Manager Cora said, “Yoshida needs to play defense. We brought him in as an outfielder, and using him as an outfielder when he is healthy is the best option.”
If Boston had lacked a designated hitter, Yoshida could have made the opening roster. However, Boston moved Rafael Devers, who was the starting third baseman until last year, to designated hitter. Boston allowed Devers to shift positions after acquiring All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman for $120 million over three years in free agency. Devers initially expressed a desire to refuse the position change but could not alter the team's decision.
On the 27th, the day before the season opener, Cora told Boston-area radio station WEEI in an interview, “We are all in pursuit of victory, and Devers understands that. I expect him to have a good offensive season,” indicating that Devers will take on the role of designated hitter. Consequently, for Yoshida to play as a starter in the big leagues, he must definitely play defense.
It's a tough situation in terms of team composition. The Boston outfield is expected to feature left fielder Jarren Duran, center fielder Sedan Rafael, and right fielder Wilyer Abreu as starters. All three are young players in their 20s showing growth, making it difficult to exclude any of them. Veteran Rob Refsnyder, of Korean descent, can also play all outfield positions as a backup.
Devers moving to full-time designated hitter due to Bregman's acquisition has put Yoshida in a tough spot. Even if he arrives at Triple-A in a condition capable of playing defense, securing a spot in the big leagues isn't guaranteed. Since Yoshida has weak outfield defense, it will be difficult for him to become a starter unless he shows outstanding production in hitting. With poor defense, it makes it tricky to use him as a backup.
For Boston, it would be ideal to trade Yoshida, but that is not easy either. Yoshida signed a 5-year, $90 million contract with Boston after the 2022 season, and his salary this year is $18.6 million, amounting to about 27.2 billion won. His salaries of $18.6 million remain for 2026 and 2027, making it a significant burden for any other team taking him on.
Boston could trade him on the condition that it covers a portion of the remaining salary, but it must enhance his value as a player to make that possible. Last year, he recorded a batting average of .280 (106 hits in 378 at-bats), 10 home runs, 5 RBIs, and an OPS of .765, but without defensive contributions as a designated hitter, his production was underwhelming. Considering his high salary, the expectations are even greater.
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