Pirates have perfect DH option to target via trade as Red Sox rumors resurface

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has done excellent work to improve his club’s offense this offseason, and he’s been rightfully lauded for it. But Cherington’s still looking to make one more splash.

The Pirates were reportedly in play to sign Kazuma Okamoto, but it didn’t work out. Okamoto would have been an impressive final touch on an acquisition list that already includes Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, and Jake Mangum.

With Okamoto wearing Blue Jays colors, Cherington is reportedly pivoting to other bats. Rumors of Pittsburgh entering the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes are cute (and delusional). Eugenio Suárez, while more realistic, also feels unlikely. Here’s a better idea for the Pirates: Masataka Yoshida of the Boston Red Sox.

The Pirates should call the Red Sox about a Masataka Yoshida trade

Yoshida is a proven hitter who should be highly available, given the Red Sox’s DH logjam. Boston has four starting outfielders for three spots, as well as two starting first basemen who will demand DH reps in 2026 (Willson Contreras, Triston Casas). There’s not a lot of room for Yoshida.

MassLive’s trusty Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo recently discussed this in a column. Predicting that Yoshida will be “off the roster by Opening Day,” Cotillo wrote that, “if the Red Sox don’t trade an outfielder, it’s almost impossible to see Yoshida having a spot on the team ... If the Red Sox can find a club to take on some of Yoshida’s contract in a trade, it would be a huge win.”

Yoshida has become underrated since his stellar rookie season in 2023, a campaign that placed him No. 6 in Rookie of the Year voting (.783 OPS with 15 homers in 140 games). Injuries have been the cause of his “decline” in the past two seasons. Yoshida only appeared in 55 games in 2025. He started the season on the IL after undergoing labral repair surgery in October 2024.

If you zoom in on Yoshida’s brief but polarizing MLB career, however, you’ll notice that he’s a special (and clutch) hitter when healthy. The end of last season is a shining example of that. Yoshida slashed .333/ .351/ .468/ .837 in the final month of the regular season, and he was arguably Boston’s most dangerous and productive bat in its American League Wild Card series loss to the New York Yankees.

Yoshida has a clean bill of health entering 2026, which is bad news for pitchers having to face him. It’s also inconvenient news for the Red Sox, who can’t provide the at-bats to maximize Yoshida’s talent. The Pirates can, and they should be on the phone with Boston about a deal.