FORT MYERS, Fla. - Trevor Story was on the top of the Red Sox' list from Minute 1 of the offseason. Talking to Chaim Bloom, that much is clear.
"In terms of the guys who you would put on top of the class, we felt from the beginning of the offseason he was the likeliest fit," Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom told WEEI.com after Story's introductory press conference.
"There are a lot of great players out there, especially this winter. Obviously, we respect all of them, value all of them. But as you go through the different fits, how it might work with what else we’re trying to do, not only this winter but going forward, he stood out to us as someone right from the beginning of the offseason he should be a target."
It was an admiration that wasn't lost on Story, either, even well before Major League Baseball locked down their offseason.
"For sure," the infielder told WEEI.com when asked if he felt the love fro the Red Sox early on.
"We certainly had great conversations with them and they let that be known to us, which was kind of the start of the relationship. Obviously things panned out how they did."
There was going to be the years, the money, the tradition, the opportunity to win and what appeared to be an on-field fit. But, even if Story didn't know it right away, there was something missing.
That something was checked off the list while Story sat at home just days after baseball's free agency kicked back in.
"I think Bogey (Xander Bogaerts) reaching out," said Story when asked what might have been the most impactful moment in the Red Sox' courtship. "He didn’t have to do that. It’s something that made me feel very comfortable. Everyone, from man to man, who I talked to, seemed like high character guys and guys I wanted to go to battle with."
Did the call from the current Red Sox shortstop - which appeared via a number he didn't recognize - take Story by surprise?
"Yeah, it did. Bogey did," the newest Red Sox admitted. "He called me. The other guys texted me. I wasn’t sure if it was a different number."
For Bogaerts, the call was a no-brainer.
“No, no, I didn’t think about it that way," said Bogaerts regarding any hesitation of Story coming to the Red Sox since he also played shortstop. "All I’m focused on is this year. I enjoy winning a lot. I’m obsessed with winning. I’m very competitive and that’s one guy, he just makes your team so much better. If there’s a chance you can get him, why not?”
Bogaerts added, "I’m telling you, bro, and he does stuff that we don’t really do. Like running the bases. He can steal 20, 30 bases if he wants to and that’s an element we’ve been able to have like we have right now in a player. Obviously all the other stuff he can do. He just improves our ballclub so much.”
Part of the deal both players understood - at least for this season - was that they would be playing alongside each other, with Story moving over to second base.
The 29-year-old explained when and why that decision - which ultimately proved to be a key one when it came to landing in Boston - took root this offseason.
"Obviously, just given the landscape of baseball now, versatility becomes pretty valuable," Story said. "I felt like I would do it for the right team. That’s as simple as I could put it and that’s what it came down to. Bogey is the man and he’s playing short and I would expect that. I know that he has done it for a long time at a high level. That’s what it kind of came down to. I will play second if it is the right fit and the right team."