The Boston Red Sox's first base situation has been all over the place ever since starter Triston Casas hit the injured list at the start of May. Alex Cora & Co. have spent the last month assessing various solutions to their 1B woes, ranging from Nick Sogard and Abraham Toro splitting duties to even giving Kristian Campbell a chance to see what he could do at a new position.
Fortunately, the Red Sox's first-base problems received some help on Monday when 1B Romy Gonzalez was activated from the IL after being sidelined since May 7. Gonzalez's return is letting Boston get more creative with its game planning, potentially leading to a new role from one of this season's most consistent performers.
WEEI's Rob Bradford is reporting that designated hitter Rafael Devers was fielding ground balls at shortstop just hours before Monday's clash with the Los Angeles Angels. Devers, who played third base before moving to DH, has only played shortstop twice in his MLB career.
Having said that, if more time in the middle of the infield is on the horizon for Devers, his latest development could spell bad news for a slumping Red Sox veteran.
Red Sox News: Rafael Devers Practicing SS Puts Trevor Story on Notice
If Devers can successfully handle playing shortstop innings, Trevor Story's outlook with the Red Sox is about to get a lot worse.
The 32-year-old shortstop is off to one of the worst starts to a season in his 10-year career. Through his first 57 games (221 at-bats), Story is only slashing .222/.268/.335 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs, 11 walks, and a 30.9% strikeout rate along the way. That's without mentioning how his base-on-balls percentage went from 10.4% in 2023 to a significantly lower 4.7% this time around.
As bad as that is, Story's performance has only worsened with each passing week. The two-time MLB All-Star SS is batting .144 with two HRs, 11 RBIs, 48 strikeouts, and a .409 OPS in his last 34 games (132 ABs) ahead of Monday's opener against the Angels.
No matter how anyone looks at those numbers, the Irving, TX native's performance doesn't match the $22.5 million he's making this season. His contract looks even worse considering that he's signed for $25 million in 2026 and 2027, followed by a 2028 club option of that same amount.
With Story's struggles showing no signs of ending soon, the Red Sox wouldn't complain if Devers ended up thriving as a shortstop. The World Series-winning DH would make Boston's life easier by stepping up to a new challenge, potentially opening the door for the club to send Story packing before the trade deadline.
With less than two months before the deadline goes into effect, Story must find a way to prove his value to the Red Sox or risk finishing his contract elsewhere.