Some Things I Think I Think: Red Sox likely to find replacement for Triston Casas outside organization

*For now, there are no obvious solutions to the Red Sox’ sudden vacancy at first base, the result of the season-ending injury to Triston Casas.

Every internal option involves either regular playing time for bench players and/or hoping that someone can master the position quickly. Neither is ideal for a team with designs on the postseason.

Abraham Toro is not the long-term answer, and it may be that there is no such easy answer in the organization. From among Toro, Nick Sogard, Vaughn Grissom, and Romy Gonzalez, expectations should be kept in check.

But the Red Sox have the depth within their system to find a legitimate outside answer. And remember: the team managed to play .500 ball last year without having a full-time run-producer at first. With an improved rotation, a better bullpen and the addition of Alex Bregman, they should be able to survive.

The idea of having Rafael Devers play some first makes some sense. That would, in turn, create an opening for Masataka Yoshida to get some DH at-bats. For now, however, Alex Cora seems unwilling to disrupt Devers further.

Meanwhile, can we stop with the suggestion that the Sox experiment with either Roman Anthony or Marcelo Mayer? Making it to the big leagues, no matter the talent level, is hard. Doing it while you learn a new position is a ridiculous ask.

It’s not as if the Sox were getting much from Casas through the first five weeks. They might have loved his potential, but the results weren’t there. Merely matching what they were getting shouldn’t be difficult.

Surely, there’s a replacement candidate out there, languishing on the bench or at Triple A somewhere, who could serve as a suitable replacement. It’s up to Craig Breslow to find him.

*If the Bruins are truly intent on ensuring their path back to the playoffs is a short one, there’s one tool available to them which will help expedite the process: the offer sheet.

NHL teams seldom use this option, by which a team submits an offer sheet for a restricted free agent, forcing the free agent’s team to either match or accept draft picks as compensation.

Thanks to their trades at the deadline, the Bruins have the draft capital to make such a move. And the expanded cap number and B’s cap space leaves them with about $28 million to spend.

An inviting target: Toronto winger Matthew Knies, a 22-year-old left wing who’s a restricted free agent this summer. It’s a complicated compensation system, but someone like Knies would likely cost the B’s a first-round and third-round pick in 2026.

In exchange, the B’s would get a top six forward who popped home 29 goals this past season and probably hasn’t reached his ceiling. What are the odds that the B’s first-round pick next summer will ever be that accomplished?

*Wonder how the University of North Carolina administration is feeling about its recent hire? And yet, they’re stuck — the season is just four months away and it’s too late to make a change. Cleaning house and starting over? We’re not talking about that.

*If it takes the Celtics more than five games to dispatch the Knicks, something’s gone horribly wrong. The Knicks can score, but little else. This series should serve as a cushy warm-up round for the Celts en route to the conference finals.

*Umpire Bill Miller’s hot mic moment in the aftermath of a reversed call Friday night was profane and humanizing all at once.

*The Patriots deciding not to pick up the fifth-year option on guard Cole Strange highlights the team’s poor drafting this decade. Strange was the team’s surprise first-round pick in 2022 and between underperformance and injuries, has been a bust.

*If the White Sox are going to essentially wear the Chicago Bulls’ jerseys as their new City Connect alternate uniforms, why not go all the way and wear the shorts, too? There’s precedent for that with the White Sox, who wore them at the urging of outlaw owner Bill Veeck in 1976.

*The suggestions on social media that Anthony will soon demand a trade are truly humorous. Anthony isn’t yet 20 years old and has all of three months of development at Triple A, but he should demand a trade for not being promoted? Funny stuff.

*The number of people hanging on every single development of the Karen Read trial Part 2 completely mystifies me.

*Good for the NFL for coming down hard on those responsible for the prank calls to Shedeur Sanders on draft weekend. Sanders’ outsized ego resulted in his slide, but the prank calls were cruel and unnecessary.

*It sure didn’t seem that Mike Sullivan was waiting around for a call from the Bruins for a second stint behind their bench, did it? But Sullivan’s hiring by the Rangers is a reminder that the Bruins are on the clock in their search for a new coach and have plenty of competition in the marketplace. Six other teams — Anaheim, Vancouver, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh — are also in need of a new bench boss.

*It was inexcusable that the late, great Warren Zevon waited this long to be honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now, he’ll be welcomed in as a “musical influence,” rather than the standard induction. For shame.

*I’m clearing my calendar for May 14. That’s when the NFL releases the 2025 schedule, and I want to be prepared.

*TV sports studio shows were already silly enough, but they seem to get worse all the time. This spring’s trend: having a former player-panelist openly root for one of his old teams, like TNT’s Paul Bissonette (Toronto) and ESPN’s P.J. Subban (New Jersey).

More Red Sox coverage

• Boston Red Sox lineup: Kristian Campbell moved to middle of order, Trevor Story sits
• Red Sox reactions: Roger Clemens’ son the hero; Boston is 4-8 in one-run games
• Red Sox rain delay: Saturday’s game vs. Twins halted in 7th inning
• Red Sox won’t use Rafael Devers to replace Triston Casas, so here’s their plan
• Red Sox’ Triston Casas has ruptured patellar tendon, will miss rest of season