Yoshida’s playing time will be primarily at DH

FORT MYERS, Fla. — When the Red Sox signed outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million contract prior to last season, most people within baseball couldn’t understand the move. Not at that price.

While Yoshida excelled in Nippon Professional Baseball, most of his superiority came with his bat. Evaluators labeled him a defensive liability, a player who could give up runs just as quickly as he could drive them in.

That scouting report turned out to be true.

On Tuesday, manager Alex Cora said that the majority of Yoshida’s playing time in 2024 would come as a designated hitter.

“Out of the group he will get most of the at-bats,” said Cora.

Yoshida played 87 games in left field last season and was minus-4 in defensive runs saved. His arm strength is fair at best, but his slow release and occasional off-target throws make it easy for teams to take an extra base against him. Yoshida is a below-average runner, too, and though there isn’t much ground to cover in left field at Fenway, his lack of speed still hurt the Red Sox.

The Red Sox could shift Jarren Duran to left field. Even though he improved in center field last season, the club views him as a better option in left. The Red Sox could then have Tyler O’Neill, Wilyer Abreu ,or Ceddanne Rafaela in center.

Cora noted that if Rafaela makes the team out of camp, he will be the center fielder because of his elite defense. Abreu or O’Neill could then play right field.

Yoshida hit .289/.338/.445 with 15 home runs last season. Those numbers aren’t put up by slouches, certainly not in their first big league season. But is that really the desired performance from a DH? Yoshida’s power numbers should improve, but he is already 30 years old and doesn’t have much runway. He’s a lefthanded hitter, aiming to solidify a spot in the order previously occupied by righthanders with power, most recently Justin Turner and J.D. Martinez, hitters who could also use the Green Monster to their advantage.

Ideally, Yoshida’s offensive profile fits that of an everyday player. But his defensive struggles make him somewhat of a tweener, a reason why the Sox haven’t totally shut the door on him playing left. At least not yet.

“I know a lot was made of some of his defensive deficiencies early on,” said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow .“I think we saw some progress. I think this is a huge opportunity for us to push because any steps forward he can make defensively gives Alex and gives the staff more flexibility.”

Not rushing Rafaela

Red Sox fans might see Rafaela on Opening Day, but there’s a strong chance he will start the season in Triple A Worcester.

Rafaela is a wizard in center field, and is capable of handling second base or shortstop if need be, improving the Sox’ flexibility. Yet Rafaela has had a tendency to chase pitches out of the strike zone throughout his minor league career, a flaw that came to the surface in the big leagues last year.

Performance in Grapefruit League games won’t dictate where Rafaela starts the season, Breslow said. Stats in the spring mean virtually nothing as pitchers begin their progression.

The Red Sox will instead pay close attention to Rafaela’s swing decisions and approach. The club doesn’t want to rush the young center fielder, who has played just 20 big league games, viewing his impact in the majors as a balancing act.

“There are scenarios where the best path for the organization is a player getting everyday major league at-bats,” Breslow said. “There’s also situations where, you know, that’s not the case. Whether it’s trying to work on a swing change or approach development, sometimes the runway in the minor leagues affords the best scenario to do that.”

Soler off the table

The Red Sox were tied to Jorge Soler for much of the offseason. He would have been an ideal fit, providing a righthanded bat that hit 36 home runs last season.

Soler, however, agreed to a threeyear, $42 million contract with the Giants Tuesday, a deal the Red Sox could certainly have made.

The Sox are still tied to Adam Duvall, who along with Duran were their best players down the stretch last season. The righthanded power in the lineup without Duvall is scarce, leaving Trevor Story and, to a lesser degree, O’Neill on an island. The Red Sox said at the start of the offseason that they were open to adding a righthanded power bat.

“That’s something that we have talked about, but it hasn’t happened,” Cora said. “We still have a few weeks before Opening Day. In 2018, we were lacking the same thing and two weeks into spring training [we signed Martinez]. These people are working hard and trying to trade for people, trying to sign people. You name it.”

Breslow, who said the offseason hasn’t gone as anticipated for a number of reasons, believes O’Neill was a solid addition.

“I think Tyler O’Neill is really valuable and dynamic,” he said. “We also have some young guys that we expect to take a step forward. But we’re also going to continue to look, and if the opportunity presents itself, we will certainly be willing to engage.”

Showing up

Yoshida and closer Kenley Jansen are scheduled to arrive in camp on Wednesday . . . Derek Lowe was at the complex. He lives in the area and has worked with pitchers in previous seasons . . . The Sox are excited about a documentary from Netflix, which will follow the team all season. “Embrace it,” said Cora when asked what he told the players. “Because they’re going to be here. We’ve been talking about this probably halfway through the season last year. It started with the players. They wanted to do it.” . . . Pitchers and catchers will have their first official workout Wednesday.