Despite a thrilling walk-off win against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, the Boston Red Sox still face serious questions about their early-season performance. After making notable offseason acquisitions like Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, and Alex Bregman, the team is off to a disappointing start, and veteran shortstop Trevor Story has become a central figure in the team’s struggles.
Now in the fourth year of a six-year, $140 million contract, Story has remained healthy for the first time in his Red Sox tenure, but his offensive production has lagged. He’s currently hitting .236 with a .281 on-base percentage and a .351 slugging percentage, while leading the American League with 56 strikeouts a far cry from the All-Star numbers he put up in 2019 with the Rockies.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora recently addressed the situation, acknowledging both Story’s health and his ongoing offensive slump. “He wanted to play over 150 games, and he’s on track for that,” Cora said, according to MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “But I also have to be smart it’s not just about performance, it’s about his physical condition too.”
While Cora hinted that Story may need additional rest due to both his performance and injury history, he was quick to point out that Story isn’t the only member of the roster struggling at the plate. “Right now, we’ve got some holes in our offense,” Cora said. “It’s not that we have bad hitters they’re just going through a rough patch.”
However, if Story’s slump continues, the Red Sox may be forced to consider more drastic changes potentially opening the door for top prospect Marcelo Mayer to get a shot at shortstop.
