It’s May, and the Boston Red Sox have a Trevor Story problem. Sound familiar?
Story’s early-season struggles were a hot topic last year, when he hit just .138 (20-for-145) with 49 strikeouts over a 38-game span from April 22 to June 6. The brutal slump sparked debate over whether Boston should designate Story for assignment despite owing him more than $50 million.
But the Red Sox stayed patient with the veteran, and he rewarded them by becoming one of the league’s most productive shortstops from June 7 onward. Story posted an .827 OPS over the final four months of the season and finished with a team-high 25 homers and 96 RBI.
It’s been déjà vu through Story’s first 38 games of 2026. The 33-year-old is hitting .200 (31-for-155) with 55 strikeouts and a .520 OPS. He can’t hang his hat on his defense either, as he has the third-most errors among MLB shortstops (five) with -1 Outs Above Average.
Again, the Red Sox face a difficult decision about Story’s future with the club, but he believes he can turn it around as he did in 2025.
“I mean, I think if you know exactly what it was, you could kind of fix it right away,” Story said of his struggles, per The Boston Globe. “But that’s not baseball. And there’s a lot that goes into it, physically, mentally, and effort-wise. I know that was a big one for me last year, and I think it’s just a matter of time before I get it right.”
“It’s tough to go through in the moment, but I have confidence that I can do it because I’ve done it before,” he added. “Takes one game, takes one pitch. And I’m always optimistic about it. I’m not gonna sit here and pout about it. I’m not gonna sit here and feel sorry for myself.”
So, should Boston stay the course and bet on another Story bounce-back, or is it time to make a major move? Below, we’ll weigh all the options with Story and share our take on how the Red Sox should proceed:
Option 1: Designate for assignment
Just like last year, many have grown impatient with Story and are clamoring for him to be DFA’d. While it might seem like the easiest solution, it’s hard to imagine the organization eating the $50 million remaining on his contract, especially given how he snapped out of his 2025 funk.
If Story is DFA’d, and he goes on to post an .800-plus OPS the rest of the season with another club, it will give fans yet another reason to lambast the Red Sox front office. He may give Craig Breslow & Co. no choice if this slump extends well into the summer, but now is too soon to pull the trigger. Story has earned additional time to figure it out.
Option 2: Trade in a salary dump
With a hefty contract and poor early-season numbers, Story’s trade value is at its absolute lowest. If the Red Sox look to trade him, it would likely be in an attempt to dump a good chunk of the $50M remaining on his deal, meaning they won’t get much of anything in return.
Perhaps there’s a club desperate for infield help that’s willing to take a chance on a struggling, high-upside veteran. Still, Story’s price tag makes such a move unlikely.
Option 3: Bench
Benching Story would be understandable, as he’s been a liability at the plate and hasn’t provided much value defensively. Perhaps that’s the kind of reset he needs, and he could look to regain form while Andruw Monasterio takes over as the starting shortstop.
That said, it seems doubtful that the club will sit its veteran leader, especially since he’s far from the only Sox player with awful offensive numbers.
Option 4: Move to second base and/or drop in the lineup
Story’s status as a veteran leader on an expensive contract is the only reason he remains a middle-of-the-lineup, everyday shortstop. Ex-Red Sox manager Alex Cora moved him down in the order earlier in the season, but Chad Tracy has put him in the fourth or fifth spot since taking over as interim skipper.
While the offense as a whole has been a massive disappointment, continuing to plug Story into the middle of the lineup is not a winning strategy. Moving him back down in the order while potentially switching him to second base, where there would be less pressure on him defensively, could help him get back on track.
Option 5: Stand pat and hope for the best
Story and the Red Sox seem convinced that another bounce-back is right around the corner. We wouldn’t be surprised if Option 5 is the organization’s pick, but if so, they’re playing with fire.
As of Monday, Boston owns the third-worst record in the American League at 17-23. The good news? The club is remarkably only 2.0 games back of a Wild Card spot, but it has to start stringing some wins together to stay in the mix. Sticking with this version of Story without making adjustments only hurts the Red Sox’ chances of doing just that.
Our pick: Option 4
DFA’ing Story would be a drastic move at this stage, though it’s fair to revisit the conversation if his struggles extend into mid-summer.
Heading into the upcoming series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Red Sox should move Story down in the lineup and consider a position switch. The latter seems less likely, as the organization has shied away from playing Marcelo Mayer at shortstop, but it has to be considered. If Mayer isn’t moved to short, Monasterio could take that spot while Story and Mayer platoon at second.
If those adjustments still don’t solve the issue, Option 3 comes into play. Options 1 and 2 will be on the table if Story can’t turn things around in June.
