Can Red Sox's trade acquisition help with 1B woes?

Infielder/outfielder Ryan Noda has been traded from the Angels to the Red Sox, according to announcements from both clubs. The Halos, who designated Noda for assignment a few days ago, receive cash considerations in return. The Red Sox optioned Noda to Triple-A Worcester and transferred outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot.

Noda, 29, was a Rule 5 success story just over a year ago. Going into 2023, the Athletics plucked him from the Dodgers and put him at first base almost every day, in addition to occasional time in the outfield corners. He stepped to the plate 495 times that year and posted an awful 34.3% strikeout rate but he also drew walks at a 15.6% clip and hit 16 home runs. Despite all those punchouts, he was on-base enough and had enough power to produce a .229/.364/.406 line and 122 wRC+.

That was generally in line with his previous minor league performance. In Triple-A with the Dodgers the year prior, he had a 16% walk rate, 28.2% strikeout rate and 25 home runs, leading to a .259/.395/.474 line and 125 wRC+.

But Noda got out to a slow start in 2024. He had a .128/.242/.198 line on May 2nd when the A’s sent him down to the minors. From then on, he did his usual thing. He had 447 Triple-A plate appearances last year with 22 home runs, a 19.9% walk rate and a 30% strikeout rate.

The A’s put him on waivers in November and the Angels claimed him. The Halos kept him in Triple-A to start the year, where he continued in his particular fashion, though with some apparent bad luck. He has a 20.1% walk rate and 34.4% strikeout rate so far this year with four home runs but a .224 batting average on balls in play, leading to a .148/.364/.270 line and 81 wRC+.

For the Red Sox, first base is an obvious target area. Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury a few weeks ago. Designated hitter Rafael Devers was approached about trying to learn the position, but he didn’t take well to that request. Second baseman/outfielder Kristian Campbell has been doing first base drills but hasn’t yet appeared there in a game. Romy González took over the position for a few days before landing on the IL with a a left quad contusion. Glove-first utility guys like Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard have been covering the position in recent weeks.

Noda is a proper first baseman with a bit of major league success and options, so he’s a logical depth add for the Sox. They can get a close-up look at him in Worcester and decide whether they want to call him up for major league at-bats at some point.

As for Yoshida, this doesn’t change anything about his timeline. He has been on the 10-day IL all season, struggling to get his shoulder healthy after last year’s surgery. His 60-day count is retroactive to his initial IL placement, so he’ll be eligible for activation in about a week. He has not begun a rehab assignment, so a return in the near future doesn’t seem likely. As of Wednesday, manager Alex Cora said Yoshida would be restarting his throwing program after receiving a cortisone shot, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.