What's Next For The Red Sox With Trevor Story Out For The Year?

Courtesy of ESPN 

The Red Sox eagerly started this season with a healthy Trevor Story, who was finally ready to make his impact defensively at shortstop for the first time in two years, but this was ultimately cut short. Just eight games into the season, Trevor Story laid out for a ball and dislocated his shoulder. A few days later, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow addressed the media about Story’s injury and said that he had a fractured glenoid in his left shoulder and would be having season ending surgery. 

Shortstop had been a position of need since the end of the 2022 season when Xander Bogaerts opted out of his contract with Boston and signed with the San Diego Padres. After Bogaerts’ departure from Boston, natural shortstop Trevor Story, who had been playing second base for the Sox in 2022, was set to move back into his natural position in 2023 in Boston. That however, also didn’t go as planned. In January 2023, Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow and he missed almost all of the 2023 season. When he returned to the field in August of 2023, he wasn’t quite the same Trevor Story that Boston had expected. He came back to playing a little bit sooner than he should have so that he could get back on the field and help his team. With injuries to other players on the roster, the Red Sox’s playoff chances quickly slipped down the drain as the months of August and September went by, so it was on to 2024. 

With a full and healthy offseason now finally under his belt, Story showed up at spring training ready to play and be an anchor up the middle for a young team. He had quickly made an impact at shortstop and was making tough plays look easy and graceful. With this ‘new found’ All Star caliber up the middle defense, the Red Sox got off to a solid start that was much better than many had anticipated.

However, the success didn’t last long. On April 5th when Story laid out to try and make a catch, he landed on his shoulder, causing it to dislocate. A few days of uncertainty had gone by; everyone unsure of exactly how long Story would be out for and how severe his injury actually was. On the day of the Red Sox home opener, CBO Craig Breslow addressed the media and said that Story would be having surgery and was going to be out for the year. With one big question answered, a new one arose: who would play shortstop now? 

The Red Sox have a few internal options that they could explore before looking elsewhere. One, utility player Pablo Reyes, who was already on the active roster and had played shortstop for a short period of time in 2023 for the Red Sox while they awaited Story’s return. His bat wasn’t the greatest but he played solid defense in the times that he played there in 2023. They could also turn to utility player Bobby Dalbec. Dalbec was also on the 26 man active roster but was primarily a corner infielder and his bat left little to be desired. They could also call up a number of players from their AAA team. Shortstop David Hamilton, who had just made his major league debut for Boston in 2023, but he came with some concerns both offensively and defensively. They could also call up utility player Romy González who was claimed off of waivers over the offseason from the White Sox. Romy had gotten off to a scorching hot start in AAA and was a solid defender at multiple infield positions, primarily up the middle at second base and shortstop. And while it seems like an unlikely option, if the Red Sox chose not to go with any of these internal options, they could also look externally through trade or a waiver claim. 

Courtesy of Beyond the Monster  on X 

Just looking internally, it seems like Romy González is the best option of these few. He has the highest potential offensively, compliments the lineup nicely by providing a right handed bat that the team so desperately needs, especially without Trevor Story, and he also provides a solid defensive skill-set that overall is better than what they have seen defensively from the other three internal options. 

Edited by Giana Robertaccio

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