Their reasoning was Yoshida can’t run or play defense, and is an average hitter, which means playing the position of only hitting isn’t for him. Last season, Yoshida slashed .280/.349/.415/.765 with 10 homers and 21 doubles.

To be fair to Yoshida, in his two seasons with the Sox, he hasn’t had a full healthy season, so he hasn’t shown what he’s fully capable of. But it is true for the stats he puts up as a hitter, he shouldn’t be at the position where hitting is everything.

So, with all things considered, the Sox shouldn’t DFA him. They should find a trade partner who desperately needs lefty hitting, and get a reliever in return. Otherwise, it makes no sense to get rid of him purely because he isn’t a true slugger.

In a perfect world, the Sox will package him with someone like Wilyer Abreu, and trade them for some stud relievers.