What Boston does with Trevor Story this winter is one of the more interesting questions hanging over the roster, but a deal looks like a long shot.
Story finally looked like himself down the stretch in 2026, but that came after another season chopped up by injuries. He appeared in only 64 games because he needed surgery to fix a sports hernia.
That followed a 2025 season in which he played 157 games and ranked among baseball’s best shortstops. Over his five-year Boston stint, though, he has topped 100 games only once.
The talent has always been there. The availability has not.
That’s what makes the offseason discussion so complicated, especially with top prospect Franklin Arias close to the majors. Story could be a candidate to move, or even to be cut, if Boston wanted to make room.
Still, Red Sox fans probably shouldn’t brace for anything dramatic. The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey said a Story trade is “unlikely” this winter because of the contract, age, injuries and his 10-5 rights.
"Trading Story seems unlikely given his bloated salary, age and injury history," McCaffrey wrote. "However, if the Red Sox were willing to eat much of his salary or were willing to trade him along with top prospects such as outfielder Justin Gonzalez or catcher Franklin Primera, they could find a suitor. The caveat here is that Story has 10-5 rights as a player with 10 years in the league and five straight with the same team, meaning he could veto any trade."
McCaffrey also said designating Story for assignment seems "unlikely."
There is a reason Boston would rather keep its options open. Once Story returned from the Injured List, he was productive, hitting .291/.322/.442 over 23 games.
That stretch offered a reminder of how much better the lineup can look when he’s healthy. He’s also only 33, which leaves room for more good baseball if he can stay on the field.
But that’s the issue that has defined his Boston run. Outside of the 2025 season, he has dealt with long absences every year since 2022.
For now, the likeliest outcome is that Story is still in Boston in 2027. His $25 million salary makes any trade difficult, and the Red Sox are not exactly known for simply walking away from expensive contracts. Masataka Yoshida is the obvious example.
If Story stays, Boston could still reshape things around him. One possible route, if the team doesn’t land a major bat from outside, would be moving Story to designated hitter, using Arias at shortstop and keeping Curtis Mead at second base.
That setup would give the Red Sox a cleaner path if Story’s bat can stay in the lineup and his health holds up. Arias brings big upside, Mead should draw attention in Boston, and Story, when he’s right, still changes an offense.
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