MLB insider sparks Astros trade buzz surrounding Red Sox outfielder, WBC star

As Opening Day creeps closer, the Houston Astros still have several roster construction issues they need to sort out. Clearing the infield logjam is one, while adding a left-handed hitting outfielder is another. These two problems could be solved with a two-birds-one-stone type of approach, or could be satisfied in two separate transactions.

On the lefty bat front, they've made some dart throws, but the early returns on the likes of Joey Loperfido this spring reveals that they've mostly struck out.

ESPN's Buster Olney has an interesting solution to that problem. He advocates that Houston get in touch with the one team in baseball that might have an even bigger positional bottleneck, the Boston Red Sox.

Boston's cup runneth over with outfielders, particularly those who hit left-handed. For much of the offseason, they've been thought to be a prime Astros' trade partner because of this and the void that Alex Bregman's departure left them at the hot corner. The common trade targets bandied about have been Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, but Olney goes in a different direction, proposing the Astros inquire about Team Japan standout Masataka Yoshida.

Red Sox OF Masataka Yoshida could fill the Astros' biggest need

After acquiring Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers, Isaac Paredes might not hold the same appeal as he once did for the Red Sox. As a result, that takes the younger, more defensively gifted Duran and Abreu off the table.

But Yoshida is a different animal. He's mostly been a DH in Boston, but with Duran, Abreu, Roman Anthony, and Ceddanne Rafaela ahead of him on the depth chart, he's going to have trouble getting regular at-bats in the outfield or at DH.

With a hefty $18.6 million salary in both 2026 and 2027 and coming off a down year in 2025, he won't cost much to acquire and probably would require Boston throwing in some cash to facilitate a deal. Yoshida hit .266/.307/.388 during an injury-plagued campaign last season, but his first two years stateside saw him post wRC+ numbers of 111 and 116.

Now, he's reminding people of why he got the five-year, $90 million contract in the WBC, slashing .500/.583/1.200 with two homers over his first three games in the tournament.

Dana Brown was upset with the Astros' free-swinging ways last season, which played a role in the hitting coach overhaul, and Yoshida's approach could be the antidote to those woes. In his last full healthy season, 2024, he posted a 72nd percentile chase rate, a 95th percentile whiff rate, and a 97th percentile strikeout rate.

The 32-year-old is a lefty-bat who puts the ball in play and can occasionally turn on a pitch to flash some power. If he's back to hitting 10-15% above league average, he'll be a valuable commodity.

Defense with Yoshida is a question, but at least at home, Houston has one of the least spacious left fields in the league, potentially mitigating that concern. And at a low cost of acquisition and the likely ability to get some financial help, a trade makes a ton of sense.

The Astros don't have many options at this point, so pursuing one that isn't perfect but is close enough is the best they can expect to do, and Yoshida is the best option in that category.