
After Trevor Story signed a six-year, $140 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, the free agent market has quieted down a bit, with the last remaining major free agent on the block being Michael Conforto.
Story is headed to Boston and the Red Sox are locked and loaded and ready to make some noise in the AL East.
Their lineup now consists of Story, JD Martinez, Alex Verdugo, Rafael Devers, and Xander Bogaerts and is shaping up to be one of the better lineups in all of baseball.
But there’s an interesting part about Story’s new deal with Boston, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out.
Story has an opt-out clause he can exercise after the fourth year of his deal, but in response, the Red Sox can block that request and add a seventh year to the deal, which would ultimately bring the amount of money made in his contract to $160 million.
Trevor Story is in agreement with the Red Sox: 6 years, $140M. There is a player opt out after year 4. Boston can negate by picking up a 7th-yr option. If so the deal is 7-$160M
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 20, 2022
An Unprecedented Situation
This is something we haven’t seen in a free agent deal before.
Adding a seventh year to the deal if he chooses to opt out after four is basically a way to combat that situation if it arises.
It’s a bit odd that Story would agree to that.
Players usually have the right to opt out of deals, but it seems as if he doesn’t have that here, and that the Sox can just add a seventh year in response to him attempting to opt out, basically not letting him exercise his right to do so.
So it’s a bit strange to see this.
But Story wanted to go to Boston, and he now has the opportunity to do something he never had much of a chance at in Colorado, and that is to win.
NEXT: 3 Questions Trevor Story Will Have To Answer With Red Sox