Triston Casas remains positive after turning down Red Sox’ latest extension offer

"The offer that was made to me a couple of weeks ago wasn’t exactly what my team was looking for."

Triston Casas is looking to build off of a strong 2023 season. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

March 24, 2024

2 minutes to read

After signing Brayan Bello to a six-year, $55 million contract extension earlier this month, the Red Sox have apparently focused their efforts this spring on retaining other key cogs on their rebuilding roster.

Boston’s next order of business likely involves a long-term deal for slugging first baseman Triston Casas, who finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 after slashing .263/.367/.490 with 24 home runs.

But so far, the 24-year-old first baseman and the Red Sox have yet to find common ground on any of their recent talks regarding an extension.

“There’s been offers. There was an offer made a couple of weeks ago, right around the same time that Bello’s was made,” Casas told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe in Fort Myers. “My team, my agency, didn’t seem to think that the dollar amount the Red Sox put forward was the value that [the agents] see in me as a player. I don’t particularly know what my value is as a player, so I can’t really argue with [what] the professionals in my agency are saying.”

Even though Casas won’t officially be eligible for free agency until at least the 2028-29 offseason, the Red Sox know that the poised batter’s value will only continue to rise if he builds off of last season’s results.

A slow start for Casas impacted his final results in 2023, with the 6-foot-5 slugger slashing .317/.417/.617 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs over his final 54 games of the year.

While some MLBers view spring training as the lone window to talk shop when it comes to contracts, Casas told Speier that he’s open to discussing his contract with Boston at any point — but added that he might have a better gauge of his value once this 2024 campaign wraps.

“We’re going to get a little better read after this year. Hopefully I play a full, healthy season to be able to contribute to the team and to wins, and to give them a better gauge as to what my value might be long term,” Casas said. “We just haven’t been able to meet eye to eye on the dollar amounts, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to [rule out] any type of talks in the future going forward — or even during the season, or next week, or tomorrow.

“But the offer that was made to me a couple of weeks ago wasn’t exactly what my team was looking for or expecting, so they advised me to decline it and keep moving forward with everything as it would be even if I were to sign it.”

Red Sox fans are usually wary when it comes to stalled contract talks between the team and their poised young stars — especially following the eventual exits of homegrown talents like Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts.

But Casas stressed to Speier that his priority is to remain in Boston for the long haul.

“I want to pave a good path for the players who are coming behind me,” Casas said. “[But] I just want to be really transparent with the fan base: I want to be here for a long time and I want [the fans] to know that I’m all-in. All my chips are in and I just want to win and be here for a long time.”