Chowder and Champions
Fansided

3 Trades the Red Sox Should Make To Replace Trevor Story

With star shortstop Trevor Story out for the year, it's once again time to think about who could fill in for the ailing veteran while the Red Sox push on without him.

By Jacob Phillips

Apr 3, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) sits by second base
Apr 3, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) sits by second base / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next

3. Nick Ahmed, SS, San Francisco Giants

Apr 7, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed (top) makes a jump throw to first base
Apr 7, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed (top) makes a jump throw to first base / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

If you're rooting for the Red Sox to replace Story with an offensive star, avert your eyes.

You know what you're getting with Nick Ahmed. Throughout his career, he's been a top-tier defender and a below-average (at best) bat. When playing, he's almost always glued to the #9 hole, and he embraces it. Ahmed simply goes out every day and does exactly what got him to and kept him in the big leagues: play sparkling defense.

And play sparkling defense he has. In every season in which he's logged at least 1,000 defensive innings, he's recorded 13 or more DRS, including a mind-boggling 27 in 2018. This trend appears to be continuing this year, as he's logged four in just 87 innings. For those of you more interested in simple defensive metrics, he's made just 77 errors over 11 years in the bigs. No matter how you spin it, Ahmed is one of the game's best defenders, and has been for some time.

The flip side, of course, is hitting, where Ahmed struggles. His .560 OPS in 2023 marked a career nadir, and he's off to just a .515 start in 2024. He strikes out a lot, rarely walks, and has next-to-no pop in the bat. The 34-year old has failed to notch more than five home runs in a season since 2019, and he's normally hitting singles when he does manage to reach base. For reference, his 2023 OPS is right around Madison Bumgarner's career OPS.

I don't think it matters. Like DeJong, Ahmed is on a minuscule one-year deal, and wouldn't cost much at all to pry away from the Giants. He likely wouldn't start for Boston, but having his glove available to spell whoever ends up playing shortstop full time would be a massive luxury. More than anything, he'd be a mentor to a young, inexperienced middle infield group, and a necessary star defender in a suspect infield.

Potential Deal:

  • BOS receives SS Nick Ahmed, Cash Considerations
  • SFG receives SS David Hamilton (BOS #20)

More Boston Red Sox news and rumors:

feed

Home/Boston Red Sox