Red Sox land Story with 6-year deal
Ian Browne
@IanMBrowneFORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox struck with a big move on Wednesday, officially securing the services of the impact right-handed bat they¡¯ve been looking for in Trevor Story, a shortstop who is expected to switch positions in Boston.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom announced that the club had signed Story to a six-year contract through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028. To make room for Story on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated outfielder Jeisson Rosario for assignment.
Terms of the deal were not announced, but a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that the contract is worth $140 million, and it includes an opt-out after the fourth year that can be negated if a seventh-year club option is exercised, which would make the contract worth a total of $160 million.
With team leader Xander Bogaerts entrenched as Boston¡¯s shortstop, Story will likely move to second base. With the deal now official, the Red Sox have one of the most potent middle-infield combos in the game.
With Opening Day set for April 7 at Yankee Stadium, it will be a crash course for Story in learning a new position. In 745 Major League games, Story has played exclusively at shortstop.
The acquisition of Story not only bolsters the Red Sox in their quest to build off last season¡¯s deep playoff run, but it gives the club insurance in the event Bogaerts exercises his opt-out clause at the end of the 2022 season. Bogaerts is signed with the Sox through ¡¯25 and has a club option for ¡¯26.
A couple of days ago, Bogaerts told MLB.com he was excited about the possibility of the Red Sox adding Story.
¡°He¡¯s a big bat. We know what he does defensively already. I think that bat would play really well at Fenway just with that short porch over there,¡± Bogaerts said. ¡°He has a nice swing that¡¯s kind of built for that. It would be nice if we could get an addition like that after some of the big names that we lost to free agency or traded away. That¡¯s a big boy. That¡¯s a big bat right there. That¡¯s an impact player.¡±
With the addition of Story, Boston¡¯s lineup should look something like this:
1. Kik¨¦ Hern¨¢ndez, CF
2. Story, 2B
3. Rafael Devers, 3B
4. Bogaerts, SS
5. J.D. Martinez, DH
6. Alex Verdugo, LF
7. Bobby Dalbec, 1B
8. Jackie Bradley Jr., RF
9. Christian V¨¢zquez, C
Christian Arroyo, who had been projected as the starting second baseman, can become a valuable utility player who has experience at second, short and third.
The Red Sox had been looking for a bat all winter, and once they traded Hunter Renfroe to the Brewers for Bradley and two prospects, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom prioritized a right-handed hitter.
"Hell of a player. He¡¯s an elite bat," said Hern¨¢ndez. "Not a lot of home run hitters go out there and steal 30 bags, and I know he has that ability. We don¡¯t have that many guys in our lineup that can do that. Not just his bat, but his baserunning can help us a lot."
The 45th overall pick in the 2011 Draft, Story spent his entire career in the Rockies organization until he became a free agent this winter. He broke into the Major Leagues in 2016 with 27 homers and a .909 OPS, finishing fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
For his career, Story has a line of .272/.340/.523 with 158 homers and 450 RBIs.
Story is a two-time All-Star and also owns two Silver Slugger Awards. His best season was 2018, when he hit .291 with 37 homers, 42 doubles and a .914 OPS. Story has finished in the top 10 in the National League in Baseball Reference WAR three times, most recently in ¡¯20.
Home/road splits are always something to monitor with Rockies players. Story slashed .303/.369/.603 at Coors Field, compared to .241/.310/.442 on the road. Story should be comfortable at Fenway Park, though, where he can take aim at the Green Monster 81 times a year.
As impact players from around the game signed free-agent deals and were acquired by other teams, Red Sox Nation was starting to lose patience. But manager Alex Cora indicated multiple times he felt Bloom would strike with something before Opening Day.
And that¡¯s exactly what happened on Wednesday, positioning the Red Sox to have a better chance to compete in a loaded American League East that also includes the Rays, Blue Jays and Yankees.