The Red Sox have a franchise cornerstone-sized void to fill with shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who reportedly left Boston for the San Diego Padres on an 11-year deal.
Bogaerts, who Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom expressed as the organization’s No. 1 priority this offseason, will make $280 million over those 11 seasons. It is quite a financial commitment with the 30-year-old interior player. So with Boston’s Plan A headed to the National League West, the Red Sox are left to sift through Plans B, C and D as they try to compete in the incredibly deep American League East.
Options remain on the open market for the Red Sox. Both Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson, two of the top four shortstops entering free agency, are still available. There are other lesser-known veterans in office as well. But if the Red Sox choose to stay away from outside additions, they have internal options to fill Bogaerts’ role.
The Red Sox have said both Major League All-Star shortstop Trevor Story and the versatile Kiké Hernandez can play the position. As for Story, the potential move from second base to shortstop was a possible outcome as soon as the Red Sox signed him to a six-year, $140 million contract last season. Story spent his first six seasons playing shortstop for the Colorado Rockies and posted a .979 fielding percentage, though his arm strength in the hole was one reason the move to second base made sense. Hernandez, meanwhile, has 64 career starts at shortstop with a similar .978 slugging percentage.
Of course, moving Story or Hernandez would fill one hole and create another. If that proves to be the way the Red Sox do it, Boston should find a new second baseman or center fielder every day, depending on the move. Those positions don’t have much depth on the open market, with center headlined by Brandon Nimmo and Kevin Kiermaier and second base highlighted by Jean Segura and Adam Frazier. A trade for an outfielder (maybe Bryan Reynolds?) isn’t off the table either.
If Story is the one to move to shortstop, which seems the most likely infield scenario, Christian Arroyo is a conceivable choice to take over the bag at second base. The 27-year-old Arroyo, who has impressed when in the lineup, hasn’t proven too reliable due to injuries, however. Fellow outfielder Jeter Downs, who made his MLB debut with the Red Sox last season and played in 14 games, also spent 56 innings (eight games) at second base. There’s a chance Downs could complement Arroyo at the position, though it would be difficult for either to carry the same pop into the lineup. This offensive production could only exist externally.
Thumbnail photo via Quinn Harris/USA TODAY Images