The 2022 Red Sox offseason will be defined for years to come as when Boston landed star infielder Trevor Story. And Red Sox manager Alex Cora recently added to the legend by sharing his perspective on how the blockbuster deal went down.
Appearing on Audacy’s “Inside The Monster” podcast, Cora explained just how much effort really went into bringing Story to Boston.
“It was very college-like, that recruiting process,” Cora said, as transcribed by Audacy’s Logan Mullen. “There was a team that we heard was being aggressive recruiting Trevor, and (chief baseball officer) Chaim (Bloom) gave me the green light. It started with Kiké (Hernandez), he was the first guy to contact him, then Xander (Bogaerts). That was the big call. Xander called him and said, ‘Hey man, I need you.’ Then Chris Sale, Nate Eovaldi, then there was a text by David (Ortiz) at one point there.”
Cora also credited Pedroia as playing a huge role in the process, and his assistance didn’t stop once the contract was signed. The longtime Red Sox second baseman came up as a shortstop, and he reportedly is helping Story make the transition from shortstop to the other side of the bag.
Bogaerts also has continued to help Story make the transition to Boston, which is a welcome outcome considering Bogaerts, who has an option to become a free agent at the end of the season, could otherwise have felt like the middle infield was becoming too crowded.
Story ultimately signed a six-year deal with the Red Sox, so it seems the recruitment effort was welcomed on both sides.
