Trevor Story Ready To Get To Work With Red Sox
FORT MYERS, Florida (CBS) -- Trevor Story is officially a member of the Boston Red Sox. Now all the work -- and fun -- can begin.
Story was all smiles after donning a Red Sox jersey for the first time, eager to get to work with his new team. The Red Sox went after the free agent hard after the MLB lockout ended, and they finally reached an agreement on a six-year deal worth upwards of $140 million over the weekend. Alex Cora, Xander Bogaerts, Enrique Hernandez and Chris Sale were all part of the courting process, and many of his new teammates reached out to Story to welcome him to the team. He said that already feels comfortable with his new club.
Most importantly though, Story foresees big things ahead with his big bat now joining a team that was two wins away from the World Series in 2021.
"It comes down to winning and we feel this is a great fit for me and my family. Looking forward to the opportunity to get on the field and chase this championship," Story told reporters Wednesday. "The passion that the fans bring every night, that was one of the attractive things to my family and me. That's what you want, everyone involved cares just as much as we do. I can't wait to get to Fenway and play in front of the Red Sox faithful."
But before he makes his way to Boston, Story will get to work in some spring games with his new team at a new position. The All-Star shortstop is shifting to second base, with an All-Star shortstop already on the roster in Bogaerts. It's a move that Story is happy to make for the better of the team, and the opportunity to play for the Red Sox was not something he was going to pass up.
He doesn't seem too worried that he has just over two weeks to adjust to his move across the diamond.
"It's a truncated Spring Training and everyone is crunched on time. I fall in that boat. But I think playing second is something that I'm comfortable with, something I did a lot in the minor leagues," said Story. "I've played on that side a lot in the shift the last few years. I know there are little intricate details that I'm looking forward to getting comfortable with. I'm looking forward to getting those reps."
While many fans are clamoring for Story's big bat, which has produced 158 homers and 180 doubles over his five-year career, it's all the little things that he does on the field that had the Red Sox clamoring to obtain his services this offseason. Boston Chief Baseball Operator Chaim Bloom said Wednesday that Story was at the top of Boston's wish list all winter.
"We cast a really wide net all over the game, free agents, trade targets, but Trevor was someone from the outset that we circled. He's incredibly talented and can impact the game in every possible way – not just what shows up on the back of baseball cards," said Bloom. "The way he runs the bases and the little thing, those impact the game. And with how little the margin is in the AL East – last year we barely snuck in -- he does a lot of the little things that help you win baseball games that don't show up in the box score."
"He's an elite base-runner, so from that aspect we became better," added Cora. "The knowledge and communication factor, he's going to help his teammates."
The biggest concern surrounding Story is the fact that he put up a lot of his big numbers while hitting in the high altitude of Coors Field with the Rockies. His home/away splits are a bit concerning, with his Coors Field average over 60 points higher than his road average. He also hit 32 more homers into the thin Denver than he hit on the road during his career with the Rockies.
But the Red Sox are not worried about Story's bat transitioning to Fenway Park, with Cora pointing to former Rockies Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu enjoying success in their post-Coors career with the Cardinals and Yankees, respectively.
Story believes that playing games at Fenway, and not at the Denver altitude, will help him health-wise, and he thinks he'll still do plenty of damage with his bat with that giant wall in left field at Fenway.
"I feel really good about how my game will adjust there, I just need the reps and some time," said Story. "There is kind of that stigma around Coors field where the ball flies, and it certainly does. But the adjustment I'll have to make is the toll it takes to play in altitude. I'll feel a little better playing in Boston every night.
"I think baseball is baseball and it's played the same way at every park," he added. "That's the way I've always looked at it."