The Red Sox infield defense was a disaster last year; what 1B Triston Casas is doing about it

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas has done his homework, pointing out the importance of having a rock-solid defender at his position.

And even though contending for a World Series championship would be unlikely for the underdog Red Sox this season, Casas believes he can help stabilize the team’s infield for years to come.

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“If you look at the two World Series teams — the Diamondbacks and Rangers — they both had Gold Glove-winning first basemen with Nathaniel Lowe and Christian Walker,” Casas said before a spring training game at JetBlue Park at Fenway South.

“The first baseman is the leader of the infield with how much he’s involved in every play, how much he facilitates and how much of a difference he can make. Being a good first baseman goes a lot further than just catching the ball.”

With little question surrounding his ability at the plate — the left-handed slugger finished last season with a .263 average, 24 home runs, 65 RBI and a .856 OPS — Casas spent much of the offseason working on his defensive skills.

He was third in last year’s American League Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland pitcher Tanner Bibee.

“With the strides I’ve made, I can help make a difference,” said the 24-year-old Casas, who finished last season with a .995 fielding percentage and five errors. “For this year, I’m definitely better.”

In a 2023 to forget for Boston, the infield defense was a major problem. With shortstop Trevor Story sidelined until August while he recovered from elbow surgery, along with a revolving door of players at second base, the entire unit struggled.

The Red Sox used 12 different players at second and the position was responsible for 16 errors; while 10 different players saw time at shortstop and combined for 24 errors. Rafael Devers led MLB third basemen with 19 errors.

“It’s definitely one of our goals, to be a top-five, top-10 defensive team,” Story said. “Vaughn [Grissom] is really athletic at second and Triston is solid over at first. We have to go out there and perform the way we should. I feel good about how it sits.”

Now fully healthy, Story expects to regain his form as one of the league’s top shortstops. Injuries have cost him nearly 200 games since he signed a six-year, $140-million contract with the Red Sox in March 2022.

“His defense is really going to propel us to great heights,” Casas said. “I think this is going to be a huge year for us, and he’s going be a big part of it.”

Story could have sat out all last season, but he wanted to get back into the fold in August to prove his injuries were behind him.

“It was important for me to do that and mark that off the checklist,” Story said. “I was able to feel good about that going into the offseason and built on it. We’re in a much different spot now.”

Even with a better all-around defense — Boston traded for Grissom and former Gold Glove winning outfielder Tyler O’Neill in the offseason — it could be a tough climb for the team to improve on its last-place finish in the A.L. East a year ago.

The Red Sox, as of Tuesday, had yet to address their biggest weakness — starting pitching. Free agent signee Lucas Giolito, considered the favorite to start Opening Day on March 28 at Seattle, suffered a right elbow injury last week, had surgery on Tuesday and is expected to miss significant time, leaving an already thin rotation in flux.

Not to mention the Red Sox lost veteran Justin Turner, a main contributor to the team’s offense in 2023, to free agency. Turner signed with A.L. East rival Toronto.

Despite cries from Red Sox fans, and even some players, for the organization to improve the roster before the regular season, there are no guarantees the front office will do so.

“It’s a funny dynamic,” Casas said. “I know the guys on this team and the guys coming up in the next couple of years. I’m safe to say we’re in really good hands.

“We have a lot of young talent. Whether moves are made or not, I think we’re in a really good place this year and for years to come. We’ve set ourselves up for success.”