Boston Red Sox: Trevor Story hoping for Xander Bogaerts stay
With All-Star Xander Bogaerts manning the shortstop position, Trevor Story switched over to second base when he inked a six-year, $140 million deal with the Boston Red Sox last offseason. Whispered to be the shortstop of the future at Fenway Park, Story says he would rather see Bogaerts back in 2023 as his middle infield partner.
Trevor Story wants to see the Boston Red Sox work out a deal with Xander Bogaerts
The subject of Bogaerts and his future with the Boston Red Sox has been a storyline all season, with the soon-to-be-30-year-old Bogaerts able to opt out of his current contract after this season and pursue other offers. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has said that the team is looking for the right contract to offer Bogaerts in the hopes of keeping him in Boston, and Story hopes that there’s a way for the two sides to ink a deal.
“Bogey is a really good shortstop. And I think having him here is going to be huge for us. Hopefully, we can make that happen,” Story told Christoper Smith of MassLive.com.
“We pride ourselves on trying to pick up our pitchers. He’s obviously done that over his career for a long time. But seeing it on a first-hand basis, defense is really good and I think the offense kind of speaks for itself. He’s one of those dynamic players on both sides of the ball.”
Bogaerts has put together another solid season in Boston, slashing .314/.383/.465 with 14 home runs and 68 RBI heading into Monday’s action. His play has not only earned him his fourth All-Star Game appearance, but also plenty of buzz about what he could fetch in a free agent market that once again could have some big names at shortstop available (including potentially Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson, and Trea Turner).
Story, meanwhile, has had an injury-plagued, down season, slashing just .238/.303/.434, part of what has been a disappointing season for a Red Sox team that lost in six games to the Houston Astros in last season’s American League Championship Series.
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While Story would be the odds-on favorite to take over at shortstop, he is currently stumping to keep Boston’s middle infield together as the Red Sox look to bounce back in 2023.