Likely Red Sox roster casualty could give Rangers a buy-low, high-upside Jake Burger platoon partner

For Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, the last two seasons have been an injury-riddled nightmare. After breaking out in 2023 with an impressive 129 OPS+, the massive 6-foot-4-inch, 245-pound left-handed hitting slugger has dealt with three serious setbacks that have cost him almost all of 2024, 2025, and 2026.

If Casas can get fully healthy, however, he appears to be an intriguing option for the Texas Rangers, who might be able to get him for a very low price to platoon with Jake Burger. The upside that he has already shown at the big-league level is more than enough to take a gamble and hope that he can handle 80-100 games. He is entering his second year of salary arbitration ahead of the 2027 season after earning $1.7 million last season.

Triston Casas could be non-tendered by the Red Sox and would be a good fit for the Rangers platooning at first base with Jake Burger

Because of Casas' extensive injury history, they could choose to non-tender him, making him a free agent in 2027. Casas's physical problems started in 2024 when he was limited to 63 games after missing three months with a severe left rib cage/intercostal strain.

In May 2025, Casas suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon after a freak injury caused by hitting the bag hard and awkwardly legging out an infield hit. He required immediate surgery and was given several months to rehab.

Next, in April 2026, he reinjured the rib injury from 2024 while rehabbing and later underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist to alleviate an issue he encountered while trying to resume his swinging motion.

Needless to say, the injury history is extremely long and storied for a 26-year-old. It could be a perfect time for Chris Young to swoop in and give a fully rehabilitated Casas the chance to ease his way back into the big leagues as a platoon partner for Jake Burger at first base.

Burger desperately needs a platoon partner, too. Despite leading Texas in homers (28) and RBIs (90), the 30-year-old righty slugger put together a relatively middling .228/.302/.421 line. The big reason why his overall line was so unimpressive was the fact that he had a .659 OPS against right-handed pitching versus an .892 OPS against southpaws.

As a rookie in 2023, Casas was outstanding, posting a .263 average with 24 homers and 65 RBIs spanning 502 plate appearances. His slash line that year was .263/.367/.490. His .856 OPS would have led the Rangers in 2026. He finished the year third in the ROY voting. Casas was off to a strong start in 2024 before the injuries hit, keeping him sidelined for all but 29 games in 2025.

Make no mistake, however: if the Rangers could bring Casas into the fold in Arlington at a discounted price, his upside alone would be worth the investment. If — and that's a pretty big "if" at this point — he can stay healthy for an extended period, the ROI on him could be through the roof.

If Young is serious about getting younger, then Casas certainly fits the bill and may be worth kicking the tires on.

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