Red Sox Reportedly Make Firm Stance On Trevor Story Ahead Of 2026 Season
Story opted into the final two years of his deal
The Boston Red Sox will have Trevor Story as their starting shortstop in 2026.
Story opted into the remaining two years and $50 million on his contract with the Red Sox earlier this offseason. With Story locked in, there were some questions over what position he would play in 2026.
However, Red Sox insider Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic believes Story will be at shortstop, which means Marcelo Mayer will play third base.
“A source within the team recently noted a preference for Mayer at third over second base (barring a trade or signing at third),” McCaffrey wrote in a piece published on Friday. “With that said, the Red Sox highly value Story, who, now with the loss of Alex Bregman and Rob Refsnyder, is their biggest clubhouse leader.
“Moving him off short would be a tough move, and his defensive lapses late in the season were more because of fatigue after playing a full season for the first time since 2021 rather than diminished abilities at short. It seems the Red Sox like the idea of keeping Mayer on the left side of the infield at third, so when Story’s contract is up after 2027, he can slide to short. I don’t see them moving Story to any other position the next two years.”
Story is beloved in the clubhouse, and he’s expected to remain the starting shortstop for the Red Sox for the forseeable future.
The two-time MLB All-Star hit .263 with 25 home runs and 96 RBIs last season but did commit 19 errors.
Regardless, the Red Sox expect Story to be better defensively next season now that he’s fully healthy again.
