3 Red Sox on the Naughty List (& 2 on the Nice List) This Christmas

It's safe to say that Boston Red Sox fans won't remember the 2023 MLB season all that fondly. The Red Sox just couldn't get any consistent momentum going, finishing 78-84 for the second straight campaign as they missed the playoffs for the fourth time since 2019.

Even though it's the offseason now and new Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow is ready to begin a new era, it's never too late to look back at the highs and lows of the year. After all, it's the holiday season, and fun to see who landed in Santa Claus' good (and bad) graces due to their 2023 performances.

Here are three Red Sox who made the Naughty List (and another two on the Nice List) this Christmas.

Naughty List #1: Trevor Story

Trevor Story was once one of the best players in the MLB, finishing 12th or better in NL MVP voting from 2018 to 2020. Unfortunately, you wouldn't know that if his Red Sox tenure is anything to go off.

After signing a massive six-year, $140 million contract with Boston in 2022, Story has only played 137 total games in a Red Sox jersey. The veteran shortstop has been injured more often than not while his production has dropped off a cliff, making it difficult to justify the $22.5 million he's set to make in 2024.

While injuries are usually out of a player's control, it isn't like Story has looked that good when he's in the batter's box. Playing 43 games in 2023, Story finished with three home runs, 14 RBIs, 55 strikeouts, and a putrid 203/.250/.316 slash line. If you converted those stats to a 162-game campaign, he was only on pace for 11 HRs and 53 RBIs — both career worsts.

With four years remaining on Story's deal, hopefully, he can change things around in 2024. Otherwise, this won't be the last Christmas that he receives coal.