The Boston Red Sox made a huge splash in free agency over the weekend when they signed star shortstop Trevor Story to a six-year, $140 million deal that includes a player opt-out after the fourth year of the deal, which can be voided if Boston adds a seventh year to the contract, which would bring the total amount of money up to $160 million.
Red Sox General Manager Chaim Bloom stated that Story was always going to be the top choice for the team in free agency, citing him as the perfect fit for the team as a person and as a player.
Chaim Bloom said Trevor Story was always Boston's top choice on the high end of the infield market.
"What we thought of the player, the person, the fit… we thought all along that if we were going to play in the top of the market, that he was the right fit for us."
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 23, 2022
A Good Choice
It’s understandable why Boston chose Story.
He really is the perfect fit.
Though Xander Bogaerts is already playing shortstop, Boston plans to slide Story over to second base.
This gives them arguably the best infield in all of baseball.
They already have Rafael Devers at third base, who is an elite defender, and of course Bogaerts, who also is a solid defender in his own right.
First baseman Bobby Dalbec continues to improve as well.
Sliding Story into a lineup that already features Devers, Bogaerts, JD Martinez, and Alex Verdugo gives them one of the better lineups in the league as well.
This just adds fuel to the fire in what appears to be a very competitive American League East division.
The Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees are going to be right in the thick of the race as well, which makes the AL East one of the tougher divisions in all of baseball.
We’ll see if the move for Story can help catapult Boston to the postseason for the second straight year.
NEXT: Red Sox Star Reveals Why He Recruited Trevor Story