With the trade deadline only five days away, the Red Sox chatter has mostly settled into one lane: shortstop.
Boston has been tied to Zach Neto, CJ Abrams, Jeremy Peña and even Francisco Lindor, though other reports have said Lindor is not available for the Red Sox. If the club does land a shortstop, though, it may also have to clear one out.
That’s why Trevor Story deserves more attention than he’s getting. The Red Sox already have Andruw Monasterio and Tseng Tseng-Cheng on the 40-man roster, while Story, Marcelo Mayer and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are all on the injured list and working through rehab. By late August, that could be too many players for one spot.
Masataka Yoshida does not look like a realistic trade candidate, especially with $18.7 million due next year. Story is owed $25 million, and no team is likely to take on that entire figure. Still, compared with Yoshida, Boston might be willing to absorb most of Story’s money if it means trimming a few million off the luxury tax bill.
Some insiders have floated the idea of Story moving, but none have said the Red Sox are actively pushing it. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic wrote Wednesday that "trading Story is an option, but finding a suitor might be tough" on Wednesday.
Boston’s shortstop situation has already taken a few turns. After Story’s sports hernia surgery in May, the Red Sox gave Mayer a shot to take over.
He didn’t lock down the job, and then he landed on the injured list himself, leaving the team stuck. Cheng helped steady things during the recent 15-game winning streak.
If the Red Sox do bring in another shortstop, Story could eventually wind up as a veteran leader with no clear role, whether that comes soon or gets pushed to next season when Curtis Mead is healthy.
A trade still feels like a long shot. But if Boston hooks one of those big-name shortstops, Story is the name that suddenly makes the most sense to watch.
In Other News...
Red Sox Are Circling A Shortstop Move Fans Saw Coming
The shortstop market has been thin enough that every plausible name gets a hard look, and Boston has reportedly done more than just monitor the board. The Red Sox have inquired about Miami infielder Otto Lopez, a player who fits the kind of upgrade they could use as they try to patch an infield that has not offered enough offense.
Lopezs appeal is obvious beyond the fit. He is having a strong season, he remains under club control through 2029, and any team interested in prying him loose would likely have to pay a steep price. For Boston, that makes the pursuit both understandable and complicated, especially if the Marlins decide they are willing to listen. [Read more 🡒]
Former Red Sox Fan Favorite With Awesome Nickname Gets Another Shot
Jhostynxon Garcia is getting another look in the majors after the Pirates brought him up and put him in the lineup against the Diamondbacks. The former Red Sox outfielder has spent most of the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he put together a solid enough run to keep himself in the conversation, and he had already logged a brief big league stint earlier this year before getting this latest opportunity.
For Boston, Garcias path is a reminder of how quickly a familiar face can become part of a different organizations plans. He has already shown he can handle some major league pitching in limited action, and now he gets a chance to see if he can turn that into something more meaningful with Pittsburgh, with a familiar Red Sox connection waiting on the other side of the matchup. [Read more 🡒]