"Masataka Yoshida is not that good" - Mariners pundit critiques failed Red Sox trade involving Luis Castillo, Triston Casas

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida had a strong rookie season in 2024, posting a .280 batting average with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs. While Yoshida aims to build on those numbers, his future with the Red Sox remains uncertain.

The MLB offseason has seen significant speculation, and the Seattle Mariners have emerged as a team potentially looking to make moves. On the "Locked on Mariners" podcast, hosts Ty Dane Gonzalez and Colby Patnode discussed rumors of a possible Yoshida trade.

They highlighted reports of Boston offering Yoshida and first baseman Triston Casas in a deal for Mariners ace Luis Castillo. However, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported that Boston ultimately declined to include Casas in the trade package.

"For the record, I totally get why the Mariners said no. Masataka Yoshida is not that good," Patnode said.

Gonzalez was more open to the idea of a Yoshida for Luis Castillo trade, but he was glad the deal fell through.

"I dunno. I probably could have talked myself into that deal, but it's definitely an imperfect deal." Gonzalez said. "Yoshida's just not a good fit for the roster."

Masataka Yoshida is a part of Japanese influx of talent

Masataka Yoshida is just the latest in a long line of players who have come over from Japan and found success in the MLB. Yoshida is not the biggest star of the group, but he still put up some solid numbers in his rookie campaign.

Topps continues to be one of the top manufacturers of baseball cards, and it is a company that is taking advantage of the Japanese fan base. Topps released the first-ever quad autograph card last month, and Yoshida was included with three other stars: Shohei Ohtani, Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui.

Yoshida will look to have a better year in 2025 to continue to rise up the ranks of Japanese-born MLB stars.