_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
By Tyler Maher
For most of the winter, the Boston Red Sox seemed content to have another relatively quiet offseason. They signed veteran pitchers James Paxton, Rich Hill, and Michael Wacha – all former stars who now project as giant question marks – in the name of rotation depth. They sold high on Hunter Renfroe, shipping him to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for former Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and a pair of prospects.
And…that was it.
Given the flurry of blockbuster signings that preceded the lockout and immediately followed it, Boston’s moves paled in comparison. They seemed especially light given that the AL East is expected to be a four-headed monster this year with Boston, New York, Tampa Bay, and Toronto all battling for supremacy. With the Yankees trading for Josh Donaldson and the Blue Jays trading for Matt Chapman, their rivals only seemed to be getting stronger by the day.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox only seemed to be getting weaker after downgrading their outfield for the third consecutive offseason and allowing Kyle Schwarber and Eduardo Rodriguez to leave in free agency. After coming within two wins of reaching the World Series last year, the front office hadn’t done much to improve the team’s championship odds for 2022.
It was shaping up to be another underwhelming offseason for Chaim Bloom, who had yet to guarantee more than two years or $14 million to a free agent since taking over as Boston’s top baseball man after the 2019 season. He had preached patience and prudence and been linked to several big names, but his biggest move was (and perhaps still is) his extremely unpopular trade of Mookie Betts prior to the 2020 season.
With the offseason winding down and Opening Day just weeks away, the Red Sox were running out of time and options. Nearly all of the best free agents had already signed with the sole exception of former Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, who came with question marks given his extreme home/road splits in Colorado.
With Opening Day rapidly approaching, Bloom finally pounced last week, inking Story to a six-year, $140 million contract – 10 times more money than Bloom had previously committed to a free agent during his tenure. The deal includes a player opt-out after the fourth season that can be negated if Boston picks up the seventh-year team option for $20 million, giving both sides flexibility.
Bloom has often stated that he wouldn’t make a splash just for the sake of doing so - as several of his predecessors did - but would pony up for the “right” player who fits into the organization’s plan for the future. Story does in several ways, as he can slide over to second base for at least one season while All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts is still with the team, then potentially replace Bogaerts when he inevitably opts out of his contract next winter. Story can then man shortstop until Marcelo Mayer, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 Draft, is ready for the majors.
For Story’s sake, Boston seems like an ideal landing spot for him. The nine-figure contract is nice, of course, and he joins a contender after spending his entire career with the floundering Rockies. He also gets to move down to sea level, which is much easier on the body than playing at altitude, and can take aim at the Green Monster on a regular basis as a right-handed slugger. The only wrinkle is that he’s never played second base professionally before, but he’s a good athlete and shouldn’t have too much trouble adjusting to the keystone.
As a fan, I’m certainly excited by Story’s arrival. It’s been years since Boston acquired a player of his caliber, especially at a premium position up the middle, With Bogaerts and Rafael Devers already in place, the Red Sox now have one of the best-hitting infields in the majors. He’s a tremendous five-tool player with 30-homer power, plus defense, and 20-steal speed for a team that didn’t run the bases well at all last year. And at 29, he’s still close to his prime and should have several more good years ahead of him.
In short, Story seems like the kind of player that is worth betting $140 million on. I haven’t agreed with all of Bloom’s decisions since he got here, but Story looks like a pretty good investment to me.
Tyler Maher is a Content Editor for The Game Day who hopes Trevor Story hits just as well at Fenway as he did at Coors Field.
Comments / 0