Red Sox Insider Says Triston Casas' Message May Foreshadow Pete Alonso Pursuit
It's been five weeks without Boston Red Sox baseball, and the story suddenly sweeping the fan base by storm is... Triston Casas' Instagram posts.
Late on Tuesday, Casas posted a picture of himself hitting a home run against the Seattle Mariners in April, with an extremely cryptic caption that was surely directed at
"If we’re gonna have any chance at something decent it’s stuff like this that needs to be addressed,"Casas wrote. "I’m going to try to be as transparent as possible… within reason. No delusion, just normalizing the tough conversation."
What was Casas talking about, exactly?
It's rare that Casas is unwilling to talk about something, as the 25-year-old was blessed with the gift of gab, even when he's talking about something he probably shouldn't be, like the team's ideal starting lineup during the first week of spring training. So what, exactly, is going on here?
Insider Rob Bradford of WEEI presented a theory on Wednesday: He thinks Casas may be miffed by the notion that the Red Sox could be (or perhaps already are) expressing an interest in five-time All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso in free agency, or even just that they aren't acting confidently about Casas himself being the starting first baseman on opening day.
"I think that the opportunity here is to maybe experience A.I.," Bradford said on "WEEI Afternoons." "There's a good possibility that Triston Casas basically put this through A.I. and that's what came out, or if we said to A.I., 'What did Triston Casas mean by this?' it'll give us some sort of answer. Because the human brain can't get around what he wrote here.
"I mean, my guess is, the whole idea of signing Pete Alonso and not even mentioning Triston Casas in offseason situations, maybe that was it. 'Don't count me out.' But that was a very diluted 'don't count me out' Instagram post."
Certainly, the Red Sox have been noncommittal about Casas claiming his starting spot back after a torn patellar tendon suffered in May (and a rough first 32 games before that). But on a larger scale, a bat like Alonso's is exactly what this team needs -- a proven 40-homer, 120-RBI threat.
There was a time when the Red Sox professed their belief that Casas would one day turn into that. Whether they've pulled a 180 on that behind closed doors will be one of the biggest revelations of the winter.
Seahawks’ Rashid Shaheed had ‘bittersweet’ reaction to Saints trade
The Seattle Seahawks made one of the NFL’s most notable midseason moves by acquiring wide receiver and return specialist Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Seattle sent its 2026 fourth and fifth-round draft picks to New Orleans in exchange for the All-Pro playmaker, who is in the final year of his contract.
Shaheed, who began his career with the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Weber State in 2022, opened up about the trade during his introductory press conference in Seattle on Wednesday.
“It was a bittersweet feeling, a lot of excitement from my family and from me,” Shaheed said (h/t ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “I’m excited about the journey, excited to be here, and excited to be part of the organization. So far it’s been nothing but welcoming, just feeling good right now.”
So far this season, Shaheed has recorded 44 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.3 yards per catch. His career totals stand at 138 receptions for 2,055 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns, along with a rushing score and two punt-return touchdowns. Renowned for his blazing speed, the 27-year-old has six career touchdowns of at least 50 yards and ranks among the NFL’s top ten in both air yards per target (13.63) and yards per reception (14.9) since entering the league.
Seattle’s decision to acquire Shaheed addressed both depth and explosiveness at wide receiver. The team had been short-handed, with Cooper Kupp (hamstring/heel), Jake Bobo (Achilles), and Dareke Young (hip) all recovering from injuries.
Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who coached Shaheed in New Orleans last season, sees him as a seamless fit for Seattle’s vertical passing scheme. His familiarity with Kubiak’s system should allow him to contribute immediately in motion, over-route, and post/corner concepts that exploit defensive spacing and maximize play-action opportunities.
Shaheed also adds another dimension to an already dynamic Seahawks offense. Quarterback Sam Darnold leads the NFL in yards per attempt (9.6) and yards per completion (13.7), while Jaxon Smith-Njigba sits atop the league in receiving yards (948) and yards per game (118.5). Seattle’s seven completions of 40-plus yards lead the league, and Shaheed’s deep-threat ability will stretch defenses even further.
In addition to his offensive role, Shaheed strengthens Seattle’s special teams unit. The 2023 Pro Bowl and AP first-team All-Pro returner posted 25 punt returns for 339 yards and a touchdown, along with 28 kick returns for 1,479 yards that season. Since entering the NFL, he has totaled 64 punt returns for 804 yards and 38 kick returns for 3,891 yards.
While the trade cost Seattle valuable draft capital, general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald view Shaheed as both a short-term boost and a potential long-term asset.
The Seahawks (6-2) host the Arizona Cardinals (3-5) in Week 10.
