Something BIG is brewing... Red Sox Linked To SUPERSTAR | Boston Red Sox News

I understand that we are way too early, and when I say way too early, I mean way too early to be having this conversation, but based off of brand new information that came out involving two of the three parties involved, it seems like there is a massive chance the Red Sox are in the best position available to go out and acquire the young phenom, Vlad Guerrero, next offseason. I'm here to break down all of the new information that we have. involving this topic on this episode of Red Sox Digest. But first, before we get to the news and information, if you're not already subscribed and you are a part of the 86.5% not currently subscribed, scroll down, click the subscribe button. We do appreciate all of the love and support, so thank you guys. But now, let's get to it and break down, again, the way-too-early hopes for the 2026 free agency period for the Boston Red Sox, and specifically including Vlad Guerrero Jr. Now. Again, way too early. I understand. We are just about to start spring training for the 2025-2026 MLB season, and I could not be more excited for the current roster as currently constructed for the Red Sox going into this season, because I think we are a legitimate threat to anyone and everyone in the MLB. But it seems like we could be in the best position out of all 29 other teams. To go out and acquire and make a massive splash next offseason, if not sooner, with Vlad Guerrero Jr. Now, why, Houston, why would you possibly think that the Red Sox have a chance to go out and acquire this young phenom, this slugging phenom? Well, a few things. Yesterday was Monday, February 17th, and we got these tweets this morning from Jeff Passan as he went on to say, star slugger Vlad Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays did not reach an agreement on a contract extension. Before his Monday night deadline. Important. It goes on. Jeff Passan would then tweet. When asked if the Blue Jays were close to the contract number. Vlad Guerrero Jr. would have signed. His one word answer was quote. No. End of quote. Still Guerrero has said he would resign in free agency. And wants to be a Blue Jay for life. He also said. And I quote. Now they have to beat 29 other teams. Now. Few moving parts. I will say this could be totally a leverage move by Vlad. And that would be genius on his part in his representation. That is a large, there's a large, large chance that this is what it is. But I'm also going to point out. It seems like the Red Sox, if not the Blue Jays, have a substantial chance to go out and acquire the young Dominican baseball player who has so much upside and such great connections to Rafael Devers, as well as others in the Red Sox organization, where we could possibly see Vlad find a new home. And again, I know we have Tristan Casas, but... There's a few moving parts with Casas as well. The first being, well, he hasn't played a lot. Now, this is his three-year career, 22, 23, 24. And again, you look at the games played. In 2022, he played in 27 games, had 95 at-bats. Again, his rookie year, 2023. Played in 132 games, had 502 plate appearances, posted a 2.2 WAR. That's extremely impressive. For perspective, Pete Alonso had a 2.1 WAR last season at first base. I know, again, WAR at first base is a very skewed statistic, and I understand that. I understand the argument. But again, for Casas to actually play in 132 games, that's a huge checkmark. For him to post a 2.2 WAR, another huge checkpoint. Obviously, he didn't just go out, he didn't have a crazy season, but again, it was very, very good. He ended up having 24 home runs and 65 RBIs in those 132 games. A good season, not a great season, I understand, and something that we could hope to see him improve upon, not only in the games played, but obviously the overall statistical production that he gives us. Then obviously last year, his 2024 season, again, at the age of 24. He only played in 63 games. Again, we need to see him prove that the best ability is availability. And we need to show, we need to have him show that is something that he obtains and something that he can really produce for. And if he can, this entire conversation changes. As again, we would then have a young phenom of ourselves in Tristan Casas going forward. Again, he is only 24, going on 25 in the year 2025. So again, a lot of upside from the young man. But if we have the ability in 2026, or the end of 2025, in the 2026 MLB offseason, would it be crazy to see the Boston Red Sox go out there and offer an absurd amount of money to Vlad and hope to acquire another right-handed bat, a good first baseman, as well as one of the best statistically, one of the best offensive players in the entire MLB. It's like, oh, but he plays in Toronto. He doesn't get that much. It's because he plays in Toronto. It's because nothing has happened in Toronto with the Blue Jays organization since Jose Bautista had one of the greatest bat flips in the history of baseball. And then he knocked out, or he got knocked out by Odor, or wobbled by Odor. Besides that, Vlad Guerrero and obviously Dante Bichette have been great, but... It's Vlad, and it's singly, it's singularly Vlad. Look at this baseball savant page. Even the fielding is substantially good. Obviously, the range is not great. Bottom percentile, bottom three percentile out of the entire league. But then you look at the arm strength. It's 70, what is that, 74 percentile, which is good, way above league average. But the offensive production is, again, we said Devers was in a class of very small. Vlad is in a class of even smaller, and that seems crazy because Devers is such a substantially good hitter. Look at this baseball savant page and look at the offensive production from Vlad year after year after year. Following his first two seasons in the MLB, Vlad found his footing and has never looked back, but only gotten better and better and better. A right-handed bat that is not relying on being a pull hitter. He'll hit it anywhere in the ballpark, and it does not matter. If we're playing in Comerica, it doesn't matter if we're playing in Fenway, it doesn't matter where you're playing. He has power for any ballpark in the MLB, and again, it's everywhere. It's not just to the left side, it's not down the right field line, he will hit it to dead center, he can do anything at the plate, and this baseball savant page just reflects that. Casas being young, obviously Vlad Jr. being young, what, 25 years of age, only a year difference between him and Tristan Casas, there's a lot of questions to ask. Do we maintain Casas? Do we go out and extend him? Well, this is going to be the year that Casas earns that extension. We've had this conversation multiple times with Tristan Casas specifically over the last year or so, back in September of 2024, back in March of 2024. These conversations were going off. Obviously, Brian Baio gets extended. Raffaella gets extended. Casas does not get extended. Why? Well, the statistical production was not great because, well, he wasn't healthy enough to participate in these ballgames. In 2022, he played 27 games. In 2024, he played in 63 games. Obviously, that one outlier season in 2023, where he did play in 132 games, and he did give us good statistical production, but again, the overall availability has not been at the level that we are hoping for, as well as the statistical production. Now, Rob Bradford has got ahead of this conversation and interviewed Tristan Casas, where he got a bunch of significant quotes from Casas about the contract extension that he has not received from the Red Sox up to this point, and really what he is expecting, and really what is going on behind closed doors involving this conversation, including Casas and the Red Sox organization. Now, Bradford goes on to post this tweet with the link to the article if you click on the picture, but before we get to that, quoting Casas, he goes on to say, Nothing has changed. I want to be here forever, but forever is long for a lot of people. So it might end a little bit sooner than later, but it's still going to be a long time. Again, a quote from Tristan Casas. Now, if you click on the picture like we mentioned earlier, it takes you to the article written by Bradford as it goes on to say. One of the biggest storylines heading into last year's spring training was whether or not the Red Sox could secure a contract extension for Tristan Casas. Casas made it clear that the Red Sox had approached him the weeks leading up to the exhibition season with an offer, one which he had no interest in agreeing to. But by the time the regular season kicked off, the only extensions agreed to were for Rafaela and Bayo, just like we addressed. Nothing for Casas, so with the first day of spring training for the entire roster kicking off Monday, has anything changed? Where we then find out, quotes from Casas, and again, as he goes on to say, nothing yet, Casas told WEEI.com, going on again to say, and I quote, hopefully I get out there and put some numbers up so I can have a different answer for you, but right now, no, nothing this offseason. I haven't gotten any information about it from representation or any front office members. End of quote from Casas. Bradford would go on to say, when asked if he would still be interested in getting a deal done, the first baseman responded, and I quote, yeah, of course, nothing has changed. I want to be here forever, but forever is long for a lot of people, so it might end up a little sooner than later, but it is still going to be a long time. End of quote from Tristan Casas. Again, there are a lot of moving parts. This is a long shot. This is a long ways away. I understand that. I hope that was understood when this video initially started. But the idea is the same. Tristan Casas, last season, he understood he did not put up the statistical production, whether in games played or, again, home runs, RBIs, hits, average, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, whatever statistical product or whatever statistical stat category you'd like to solely focus in on, I understand. And so does Casas. Do we prolong this contract extension the rest of this season, get into this following offseason, and just test the waters? Call Vlad. Hey, what are you looking for? What number did the Blue Jays, what number did Toronto approach you with that you flat out said no to? Would you like to go play baseball in Fenway? Would you like to be across the diamond from Alex Bregman or Rafael Devers playing alongside young prospects like Roman Anthony and Christian Campbell and Marcello Mayer and Jarron Duran obviously in the outfield and Rafaela and the surplus of talent that the Red Sox have. Whether being young, aged, and old or experienced, however you'd like to label it, seems like the Red Sox might be in a damn good position to go out and make an enticing offer to the young, promising first baseman in Vlad Guerrero Jr. Now, again, it's a long shot. And when Casas was good in that 2023 season, he was good. And please don't get things mixed up. He was good. And there's really, you can't really say, ah, he was good here. He was good. He was very, very good offensively. Obviously, defensively, he's not great. And obviously, base running, he's not very fast, and we understand that. But statistically, in the offensive production side of things, when it comes down to the baseball savant side of things, and you look at the stats and the percentiles where he ranks, he's damn good. The barrel rate's up. The hard hit rate's up. The bat speed is up. The chase rate is up. Squared up percentage is down. K percentage is down. Whiff rate is down. But outside of that, the base on balls percentage is elite. The wOBA is elite. These are things that are great. The slugging is great. Average exit velocity is great. Overall batting value is phenomenal. But again, we need to see years, or not years, but we need to see a season where he puts it all together and then do it again and again, again, prove that you have the availability, Ability, which again is the greatest ability. For these professional athletes, again, a long shot, which I understand. But again, let me know down below, would you be hesitant to offer a contract extension to someone of Tristan Casas if you knew that Vlad Guerrero could possibly be on the other side of that first baseman door in free agency when the 2025 season officially ends and we get to next season's offseason period? Again, let me know what you guys think down below, and I will see you guys on the next episode of Red Sox Digest.