The interest kings are back at it.
The Red Sox are looking at acquiring one of the few shortstops still available on the trade and free agent market, reports The Athletic’s Chad Jennings. “Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has singled out Story as a replacement candidate for Xander Bogaerts, but various voices in the Red Sox front office continue to debate the merits of their internal options, and they remain hopeful that an external alternative can be found, ideally on the trade market,” he writes.
One of those external alternatives might be Marlins infielder Joey Wendle, who’s entering his final year of arbitration and is owed $5.4 million next season. Wendle struggled in 2022, slashing 259/.297/.360 in 371 plate appearances. The 32-year-old played the previous four seasons in Tampa Bay, where he slashed .274/.330/.414 and averaged six home runs per season.
Though the Red Sox don’t view Wendle as an everyday shortstop, they see him “as potentially another piece of among a revolving and evolving list of shortstop possibilities,” writes Jennings.
Other players being considered are Elvis Andrus and Jose Iglesias, though Jennings adds the Red Sox’ “vague interest” in those two veterans “seems to be more about keeping options open.”
Internally, Jennings says some in the organization would prefer to start Kiké Hernández at shortstop over Trevor Story. The Red Sox signed Story to a six-year, $120 million deal last offseason. At the time, he was viewed as Xander Bogaerts insurance, but struggled through an injury-riddled opening act in Boston. Story posted the lowest OPS (.737) of his career in 94 games last season.
Regardless, these options are a far cry from Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Trae Turner. That’s for sure.
