Trevor Story knows the trade-rumor noise came for his job. He also knows the Red Sox did not make the move many around the team expected at shortstop before Monday’s deadline, and that leaves the door open for his return.
The Red Sox were widely linked to shortstop help, with CJ Abrams and Zach Neto among the names floating around. Instead, Boston used the deadline to address other areas, including catcher and relief pitching, while Andruw Monasterio stayed in the everyday shortstop role he has held since mid-July.
For Story, that matters. He has been on the injured list since May with a sports hernia and underwent surgery at the end of that month, so he was never in a position to control how the deadline played out. Still, the club’s choice not to add a shortstop gives him a clearer path back once he is ready.
After the deadline passed, Story addressed the chatter and what it means for his future with the team.
“There was speculation, for sure. I saw it,” Story said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
“But that’s the business side of (the game). I can’t really control that, especially when I’m not playing.
It unfolded how it did. Obviously, I’m happy about that and excited to get back in there, be part of this and contribute all I can to this incredible turnaround.”
He also admitted he was paying attention to the rumors without letting them consume him.
“I see them,” he said, per Cotillo. “I wouldn’t say they (irritate) me, but I keep note, for sure.”
Story’s season has not gone the way anyone expected. In 41 games, he has posted a .547 OPS, and that production does not make his return automatic. At the same time, the Red Sox have gone 43-26 since he last played on May 14, a stretch that included Marcelo Mayer getting a shot at the job, struggling, getting hurt, and eventually being traded to the San Francisco Giants.
Now the focus shifts to Story’s recovery and the timing of a rehab assignment. If that comes in the next couple of weeks, Boston will soon have a real decision to make.
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