The future of the Boston Red Sox’s shortstop position is becoming murkier by the day.
On one hand, the Red Sox paid Trevor Story $140 million three years ago, and that contract is on the books through 2027. Story has been injured for two-thirds of his tenure so far, but he’s a leader in the clubhouse, a premier defender, and has now homered in two of the last three games.
On the other hand, the Red Sox’s 2021 first-round pick, Marcelo Mayer, had a blazing hot spring and looks like the future of the shortstop position. He’s now in Triple-A, where he’s hit a pair of homers in his first six games, and the team has to decide how much longer they can keep him there.
In fact, the Red Sox have two star prospects–Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony–clamoring for their big-league opportunities. Many on the current roster, including Story, have to be feeling the pressure knowing that if they don’t perform, their roles could be diminished when promotions occur.
On Friday, the Athletic’s Jim Bowden fielded a mailbag question about how the Red Sox should handle the Anthony and Mayer promotions and one thing was clear: the former big-league general manager believes Mayer deserves the spot over Story as soon as the team is ready.
“Wilyer Abreu is a Gold Glove right fielder who’s been their hottest hitter so far, Ceddanne Rafaela is one of the best defensive center fielders in the game and left fielder Jarren Duran is a superstar in the making — and I wouldn’t want to DH any of them,” Bowden wrote.
“One option: move Rafaela to shortstop; it would hurt their outfield defense, but it’s doable. In terms of Mayer, it’s only a matter of time before he takes over for the declining Trevor Story at shortstop, so that’s an easier answer. To me, it looks like at some point the Red Sox will probably trade one of their outfielders for more pitching.”
That’s a lot to digest, but the idea that the Mayer-Story question is the easiest part of the equation is somewhat novel. The Red Sox invested heavily in Story and they can’t wiggle their way out of that investment easily. And trading a veteran leader in the middle of the season can have adverse effects on a clubhouse.
But at the end of the day, the Red Sox have to put the best lineup on the field to win games. If Mayer proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s ready to shine in the big leagues, Boston has to find a way to give him that opportunity, even if it ruffles feathers.
