Copyright MassLive
Monday delivered the inevitable news that Alex Bregman was opting out of his Red Sox contract and hitting free agency. Tuesday brought a resolution on a matter that actually could have gone either way. Trevor Story informed the Red Sox that he is not opting out of his contract and will instead return to Boston for the final two years of the six-year deal he signed in 2022. To begin an offseason filled with uncertainty for Craig Breslow, Story’s decision brought a little bit of certainty to the equation. Here are five thoughts on what it means: 1) Painting Story’s decision as a no-brainer would be inaccurate, though Tuesday’s outcome was the expected one here. Dating back to the regular season, Red Sox decision-makers were optimistic he’d be back, though a weak free agent shortstop class (Bo Bichette and Ha-Seong Kim are the headliners) was seen as a complicating factor. All it would have taken is Story’s agent, Joel Wolfe, getting the sense that a team or two were interested enough to offer a bigger — and longer — deal than the two-years and $55 million left on Story’s existing contract. According to a source with knowledge of Story’s thinking, Story expressed to the Red Sox that he made his decision in large part because he appreciates the organization and its direction. It’s fair to wonder how much reciprocal loyalty played a role. The Red Sox stuck with Story through three injury-plagued seasons — and immense early-season struggles in 2025 — and the club’s staff helped him get back to the point where he could put together a renaissance season like he just did. There was probably a sense that, with the financial factors around equal, that Story not only wanted to be in Boston but also felt some sort of obligation to the organization, especially as a leader. For his part, Story — unlike many others in similar contractual situations over the years — never took a business-like approach to his opt-out, which never seemed top of mind during the year. He said the whole time he wanted to be in Boston and followed through. 2) Story’s return guarantees some continuity on the roster. If the Red Sox are truly in the business of keeping all options open when it comes to improving in 2026, his decision to opt-in will not guarantee him the shortstop position next season. For now, Story is the overwhelming leader to be the everyday shortstop in 2026. But the Red Sox can’t rule out other moves that might shift him to second base in an effort to improve the infield defense, which has plagued the team for years. The eye test said Story made virtually every routine play until his throwing slump very late in the season, plus a fair share of spectacular ones. The defensive metrics were not kind, as he had negative-9 outs above average and negative-7 defensive runs saved in 1,371 ⅓ innings while ranking in the third percentile in baseball in range (OAA) and 36th in arm strength (82.3 mph). If there’s a player available who can improve Boston’s defense at shortstop — Marcelo Mayer, if healthy, could be that guy, though he’s a candidate to play third, too, with Bregman a free agent — the Sox should be open to moving Story back to second, where throwing is less of a factor. The guess here, knowing his personality and how he took to the position in 2022 alongside Xander Bogaerts, is that he wouldn’t balk at such a request and that it wouldn’t be an issue. 3) Continuity on the field is one thing, but continuity in the clubhouse can’t be discounted, either. Three of the biggest leaders in Boston’s clubhouse — Bregman, Rob Refsnyder and Giolito — are free agents this winter. Retaining Story means there won’t be full-on turnover when it comes to veterans taking charge of the group in 2026. In time, Roman Anthony will likely be the guy in the clubhouse, at least from a position player perspective. Not yet, though. Having Story back to keep a consistent culture and message is important for the Red Sox. And don’t discount the impact of Garrett Crochet on the pitching side of things, even at 26. 4) An interesting what-if to consider? Whether or not the Red Sox would have tacked on an extra season to Story’s deal to retain him if he had triggered the opt-out. Story’s deal included a unique clause that would have allowed the Red Sox to void his opt-out by picking up his 2028 option, valued at $20 million, now. It would have made a two-year, $55 million deal into a three-year, $70 million contract (as he would not have gotten his 2028 buyout). The Red Sox would essentially be willing to guarantee him a relatively high average annual value now, two years in advance of his age-35 season. That would have been a reasonable risk considering his age and history of injuries since signing. Instead, the Red Sox will get to decide on that option after 2027, when they’ll have a much better sense of what a 35-year-old Story will be like. 5) So far, there have been no wrinkles thrown into the early portion of hot stove season for the Red Sox. Bregman was expected to hit free agency and did. Most people thought Story would be back. Mutual options are always declined so the calls on Lucas Giolito and Liam Hendriks were easy. Re-doing Jarren Duran’s deal to guarantee close to his option value, and not going through the arduous arbitration negotiation process, made sense. The toughest decision of the week for Breslow still looms, though, as he must decide by Thursday afternoon whether or not Giolito is worth extending the qualifying offer, which is worth $22.025 million in 2026. That decision might be a good early indicator of the budget and level of aggressiveness to expect before spring training.
