Spring may still be weeks away on the calendar, but in Fort Myers, Florida, the Boston Red Sox are already turning the page. Tuesday marked the first official day of spring training, and with it came the first look at a team that's undergone a serious offseason facelift.
Among the fresh faces in camp are Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Ranger Suárez-each bringing something different to the table. Gray adds a veteran presence to the rotation, Contreras offers a bat-first catching option with positional flexibility, and Suárez strengthens the pitching depth. It’s clear the front office didn’t sit idle this winter, and now the pieces are starting to come together under the Florida sun.
But it wasn’t just the new acquisitions grabbing headlines on Day 1. One familiar face-well, sort of-stole the show in a way only he could.
A player arrived on the field in sunglasses and a red ski mask, channeling his inner Spider-Man. The mystery man?
Triston Casas.
If you’ve followed Casas since his 2022 debut, this kind of entrance won’t surprise you. He’s always marched to the beat of his own drum-whether it’s sunbathing in the outfield during pregame, painting his fingernails, or speaking his mind in interviews. He’s as unfiltered as they come, and that authenticity has made him a fan favorite, even when his performance has dipped.
And dipped it did in 2025. Casas is coming off the toughest offensive stretch of his young career, finishing the season with a .580 OPS and a -0.9 WAR. Injuries certainly didn’t help, and now, with Willson Contreras in the mix, there’s a real chance Casas could see a reduced role if he doesn’t bounce back quickly.
That said, spring training is all about fresh starts. For Casas, this is a chance to reset, both physically and mentally.
The tools are still there-the raw power, the plate discipline, the potential to be a key piece in Boston’s lineup. But the leash may be shorter this time around.
Whether or not he reclaims his form remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: Triston Casas knows how to make an entrance. And as the Red Sox begin to shape their 2026 identity, he’s already giving fans-and teammates-something to talk about.