Craig Breslow Refutes Trade Rumors Surrounding Red Sox Star

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is tasked with making the correct moves to improve the Boston Red Sox this offseason and turn them into a contender.

It was rumored late this past offseason that one way Breslow could go about doing that is by moving on from first baseman Triston Casas. But that looks like an avenue Breslow has no interest in pursuing.

Breslow backed Casas on Tuesday from the GM Meetings in San Antonio as there’s still plenty of belief in what the 24-year-old can do in a Red Sox uniform going forward.

“I’m not sure where that’s coming from,” Breslow told reporters about the trade rumors surrounding Casas, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “Casas is a guy that we think has 40-home run potential. He’s young and also has a great strike zone discipline and controls an at-bat. We’re excited he’s on our team.”

Much was expected out of Casas coming in the 2024 campaign after a torrid second half of the season in 2023 resulted in the left-handed-hitting slugger finishing third in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

But Casas never really got on track this past season in large part due to a rib injury which sidelined him for four months. He appeared in 63 games and batted .241 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported in September that the Red Sox could possibly eye Alex Bregman in free agency and move Rafael Devers to first base, leaving Casas without a home on the diamond.

Casas, who has yet to come to terms on a contract extension with the Red Sox, understood he could be used as a piece to help Boston acquire a frontline starting pitcher — a major need for the team. Casas can see the business side of things but ultimately wants to remain with the Red Sox.

“I think that the team and the organization should continue to strive for a championship whether I’m in the plans or not,” Casas told The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams last month. “I don’t know what the front office has in store for this offseason in terms of restructuring the roster to try to become a playoff team.

“I want to be a part of the plans to make that happen, but if not, and they want to seek an outside source for me to try to bolster the roster, that’s well within their ability.”