Veteran shortstop Trevor Story is not going to choose out of his contract and as a substitute will return to the Boston Pink Sox in 2026, sources instructed ESPN on Tuesday.
Story, who had two years and $55 million remaining on his deal, may have voided it. Boston then would have had the choice to tack on one other yr at $25 million.
Story, who turns 33 subsequent week, long-established a bounce-back 2025 season, hitting .263/.308/.433 with 25 dwelling runs, 96 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 32 makes an attempt. Whereas Story’s protection at shortstop ranked among the many worst in MLB in publicly out there defensive metrics, he performed 157 video games this yr, a gradual presence amid an injury-riddled season.
The primary three seasons of Story’s six-year, $140 million cope with Boston have been full of accidents, too, making his opting into the ultimate two years of the deal a near-certainty. His productive 2025, coupled with a scarcity of middle-infield choices on the free agent market, elevated the likelihood he would reenter free company.
As an alternative, he’ll return to a Pink Sox crew with a cadre of younger infielders — together with Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell — and presents stability amid the potential lack of third baseman Alex Bregman, who selected to choose out of the ultimate two years of his three-year, $120 million contract with Boston.
A two-time All-Star, Story spent the primary six years of his profession with the Colorado Rockies, the place his power-speed mixture bolstered a profession line of .265/.329/.490 with 204 dwelling runs, 636 RBIs and 160 stolen bases over 10 seasons.
He stays with a Boston crew that has World Collection aspirations. The emergence of rookie outfielder Roman Anthony fortified a lineup that misplaced three-time All-Star Rafael Devers in a midseason commerce with the San Francisco Giants.
Along with Anthony, the Pink Sox’s outfield consists of heart fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and a pair of potential commerce choices this winter in Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu.