Red Sox’s Trevor Story Viewed ‘As Good As’ Deadline Blockbuster

The Boston Red Sox took a measured approach to the 2023 Major League Baseball trade deadline, electing to make just one trade by swinging a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers for middle infielder Luis Urías on Tuesday.

The lack of moves was underwhelming, and disappointed a lot of Red Sox fans, but there’s a belief that more is coming down the line.

In fact, some are saying the impending return of Trevor Story, who is expected to make his season debut during Boston’s upcoming homestand, can have just as big of an impact on Boston’s playoff push as a potential blockbuster deadline deal would have.

Here’s why Alden Gonzalez of ESPN believes that to be the case:

Red Sox shortstops have combined to produce a .599 OPS this season. Only the lowly Oakland Athletics have produced a lower mark. Story, a two-time Silver Slugger, will no doubt improve that. But he’ll only do so dramatically if he can regain the form he displayed down the stretch in 2022. Story slashed .340/.389/.500 in his final 13 games after returning from his wrist injury last season, putting a positive end to what had been a miserable first season in Boston. That’s the guy the Red Sox need if they hope to overcome the odds and earn a playoff berth in a crowded (American League). The return of starting pitcher Chris Sale, who could be back from a stress reaction in his left shoulder in a week or two, might be just as big a boost.

This belief isn’t only shared by Gonzalez. Red Sox manager Alex Cora even said his team was viewing their injured list additions as boosts for a postseason run.

“I think last year when we hit this time, we were hurt, we were banged up. And people went down after (the deadline) and we weren’t playing good baseball,” Cora said. “Now it’s the opposite. We’re playing good baseball, people are gonna come back, we’re healthy and we feel we’re in a good spot.”

The return of Story, along with Sale, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck, should go a long way in aiding a Red Sox postseason run.