Casas played 132 games in 2023
Triston Casas hopes to remain with the Boston Red Sox for years to come.
When speaking with reporters at spring training, Casas opened up about offseason contract talks with the organization that came to no avail. Following up on that topic, the 24-year-old explained what the ideal extension would look like, after emphasizing that playing for the Red Sox beyond his club control years would still be the preferred outcome.
“(An extension) that sets me and my family for the rest of my life,” Casas told reporters, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. “I don’t know what that looks like. I’m low maintenance. I don’t need a lot. So I got a small family. I don’t need much but something that I think would suffice (for) the work that I put into it my whole life would be nice.”
The Red Sox could cover the remaining five years of team control if both sides were to agree on an extension. That period also leaves plenty of time before Casas becomes eligible to test out the free agency market.
Last season, Casas took the biggest leap among a handful of rookies. He batted .263 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs and broke out of an early-season slump — Casas hit .133 in March/April — to earn American League Rookie of the Year consideration. By the time the campaign neared its end, Casas was more comfortable in the batter’s box and as the starting first baseman.
Casas recorded a .955 fielding percentage, charged with only five errors throughout a span of 958 defensive chances.
Boston’s youth movement suits Casas and the patience necessary to allow him to blossom and overcome the dog days of 2023. Now, with a full year of MLB experience under his belt, Casas can further strengthen his contract extension case in 2024 and beyond.