Red Sox’s Masataka Yoshida asked point blank if he wants trade

As it has been a poor start for the Boston Red Sox in the 2026 season, some players have been lost in the shuffle regarding their role, like Masataka Yoshida. While rumors surround the Red Sox surrounding potential trades the team can make, Yoshida would speak honestly about the possibility of himself being dealt to another team.

So far this season with Boston, Yoshida has hit a .253 batting average to go along with zero home runs and six RBIs, while his role with the team has been sporadic. In the 23 games he’s started, four of the games saw him at left field, while the other 19 came as a designated hitter, as when asked if he wants to be traded, it wasn’t a direct answer, according to Mass Live.

“It’s part of the game, right? If it happens, it happens,” Yoshida said through a translator.

Yoshida’s main focus right now is to improve his hitting numbers after a downward trend in May, with the No. 1 step being to hit the ball harder, recording a “below-average 87.7 mph average exit velocity and 39.8% hard-hit percentage,” via Mass Live.

“It’s come and go,” Yoshida said on his at-bats. “Sometimes I hit it hard out to the outfield, and sometimes I don’t. Trying to hit it hard right now is my focus.”

Red Sox’s Masataka Yoshida on issues with his rhythm

There’s no denying that Yoshida’s current role with the Red Sox is not consistent, as he discusses it with interim manager Chad Tracy, with the 32-year-old discussing how it’s “kind of hard” to get the rhythm down.

“As far as a rhythm goes, it’s kind of hard,” Yoshida said. “Obviously, it’s something I’m used to. These past couple years, I’ve been used like that. So I’m kind of getting used to it now. But as a pinch hitter, when you’re put into the situation late in the game, obviously, you’ll face high-leverage guys. So in that sense, it’s kind of difficult — facing high-leverage guys.”

It remains to be seen if Boston trades Yoshida and what his future with the team looks like in the near future.

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