Trevor Story signing continues to haunt the Red Sox

From the beginning, Trevor Story was an odd fit for the Boston Red Sox.

On March 23, 2022, he signed a six-year deal worth $140 million. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts was still on the roster, prompting the Red Sox to move Story to second base. He got into 94 games during the 2022 campaign — the most in his Red Sox career.

There had been concerns with his elbow over the final four months of 2021, which Story addressed at the end of his first year in Boston. He played in 142 games for the Rockies in 2021 before making 94 appearances before the elbow woes became too much, necessitating surgery that offseason.

While Story was able to return to shortstop last season, he appeared in just 43 games. His production plummeted as he posted a .203/.250/.316 batting line in 168 plate appearances, hitting nine doubles and three homers while stealing 10 bases. Story was clearly rusty when he returned, drawing just nine walks while striking out 55 times, both rates the worst of his career.

He is out for an extended time again, lost for the 2024 season due to a dislocated left shoulder. According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, general manager Craig Breslow said that Story will have surgery to repair a fractured glenoid, which has a six-month recovery period.

The Red Sox managed to have Story on the diamond for 145 games out of the first three years of his contract. He has not been close to the same hitter he was in Colorado, slashing .227/.288/.394 in 598 plate appearances. His power and speed have decreased since leaving Colorado, as he has 34 doubles, 19 homers and 24 stolen bases. The Red Sox expected much more.

Story's injuries and lack of production continue to make his contract an albatross from which the Red Sox cannot escape.