Of the five star shortstops on the free-agent market this winter, three have already signed deals.
Javier Baez (Detroit), Marcus Semien and Corey Seager (both with Texas) are off the table, leaving just Trevor Story and Carlos Correa available.
By most accounts, Correa is seeking a deal similar to the ones signed by Seager (10 years, $325 million) and Francisco Lindor (who signed a 10-year, $341 million contract extension with the Mets after being traded to New York last winter).
The price tag for Correa would seem to take him off the table for the Red Sox, but of late, there have been a few reports -- including one by Jon Heyman -- that link Story to the Red Sox.
A look at the case for and against such a signing:
WHY STORY WOULD MAKE SENSE:
The Red Sox have repeatedly said that they're exploring various ways to improve, and that sometimes, adding to an area of perceived strength - in this case, the left side of the infield -- could be one avenue they take. "We have enough flexibility and versatility with our roster that it gives us a lot of ways to impact and add talent,'' said chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom last month.
Story could fit in one of two ways: at shortstop or at second base.
If the Sox are concerned about moving Xander Bogaerts off his preferred position, especially a year away from an opt-out decision, they could simply have Story play second base. After all, that's what the Toronto Blue Jays did when they signed Marcus Semien. Not wanting to dislodge Bo Bichette from short, they had Semien play second base — and Semien promptly won a Gold Glove at his new position while also belting 45 homers.
Or, the Sox could move Bogaerts to second, where his lack of range wouldn't be as much of an issue and make Story their shortstop.
No matter where Story plays in the infield, he would be a fine fit as a hitter at Fenway. As a righthanded pull hitter who tends to hit the ball in the air, Story could pepper balls off -- and over -- Fenway's left-field wall.
And because Story is coming off his second-worst season in the big leagues, with an OPS of .801 and an OPS+ of 103, he might be willing to accept a shorter deal with an eye toward posting a bounce-back season in a hitter-friendly ballpark — with the idea of returning soon to the free-agent market. (That's exactly what Semien did after a disappointing 2020 season with Oakland and the strategy worked for him).
If the Sox signed Story for more than a year, he could act as insurance in the event Bogaerts opts out and the Sox decide not to meet his new asking price.
WHY STORY WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE:
If, indeed, the Sox would want Story to play second base, he's never played so much as an inning at the position in the big leagues. Could an experienced, accomplished major league infielder make the transition to the other side of second? Probably. But it would still be something of a gamble.
Then there's the matter of alienating Bogaerts. Bogaerts may be a below-average defender at short, but he's otherwise been a model citizen for the Sox since making his debut in 2013 and has become the face of the franchise. Do they really want to send this kind of message to him a year before he could opt-out of his deal?
Then there's Story's profile. Like most Colorado Rockies, he's been greatly aided by the thin air in Denver and the spacious outfield of Coors Field. While he owns a career OPS of .972 at home, he's had a far more ordinary .752 on the road. His batting average dips 62 points (from .303 to .241) away from Coors and his slugging percentage also takes a precipitous dip (from .603 to a very ordinary .442). In Story's defense, of the remainder of the ballparks in the NL West, where Story has played the majority of his away games, three of the four (Arizona, Los Angeles and San Francisco) are decidedly pitcher-friendly.
Still, it can't be argued that Story has been a completely different offensive performer away from Coors Field.
It's also worth asking why the Sox might be tempted to spend big on Story, who would be a gamble, when, since Bloom arrived, he's not spent more than $15 million (two years for Kiké Hernandez) on any one free agent?
And even if Story represented a bargain, the Sox have more pressing needs to fill on the roster, including their bullpen.
