Trevor Story’s time with the Boston Red Sox has been a rollercoaster from the jump, and it looks like the ride might be coming to an end. When the Red Sox signed him to that six-year, $140 million deal before the 2022 season, fans and analysts scratched their heads. Why another shortstop when Xander Bogaerts was already locked in? Why not extend Bogaerts instead? It was a move that raised eyebrows, and Story’s performance hasn’t done much to quiet the critics. He slid over to second base that first year, but the results were underwhelming. A hand injury limited him to 94 games, and that would turn out to be the peak of his Red Sox career.
Since then, it’s been a story of injuries. In 2023, a torn UCL kept him out until August, and last season, a shoulder fracture in early April sidelined him for nearly the entire year. Over three seasons, Story’s appeared in fewer than 100 games each time, hitting a collective .232/.296/.397 with just 21 home runs. It’s a far cry from the player who was an All-Star and Silver Slugger winner with the Colorado Rockies. Now, at 32, he’s hitting .217/.264/.319 with a 66 OPS+ through 207 plate appearances, with only nine extra-base hits (three doubles, six home runs) and a league-third 66 strikeouts. It’s not the production Boston signed up for, and the frustration is palpable.
MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam dove into Story’s future on the “Fenway Rundown” podcast, and Cotillo didn’t mince words. “This is a guy who came out super hot. We were talking on this show about, will he opt out at the end of this season? I don’t think he will. Will the Red Sox opt out I think is the bigger question,” Cotillo said. He’s referring to the opt-out clause in Story’s contract, which would let him walk away from the final two years. But let’s be real—that’s not happening. Story’s not going to find a two-year, $50 million deal on the open market after this performance. Cotillo even floated the idea of designating Story for assignment (DFA), which would likely mean his Boston days are over. “You hate to see a guy who’s a good guy and a good clubhouse leader, someone you and I both really like, be in DFA territory,” he said. It’s a harsh reality, but one that’s hard to ignore.
A trade seems like a long shot unless the Red Sox are willing to eat most of Story’s remaining contract, which is a tough pill to swallow for a team that’s already invested so much. The better move might be to cut ties, open up opportunities for young guns like Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, and move on. Story’s been a good teammate, no doubt, but the numbers don’t lie. Boston’s got to think about the future, and right now, that future doesn’t include Story at the level they need. It’s a shame, really, because when he’s healthy, he’s a difference-maker. But health has been the issue, and at this point, the Red Sox might just be better off hitting the reset button. For Story, it’s a tough break, but for Boston, it might be the right call. Stay tuned, because this story’s not over yet.
