5 shortstop options for Red Sox after unexpected Trevor Story surgery

On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox announced Trevor Story underwent elbow surgery that will sideline him for a portion of the 2023 season. The expected recovery time is 4-6 months, which has Story coming back between April and June. Regardless of when he’s able to return, the Red Sox should be seeking a new shortstop for the 2023 season.

Currently on the roster, Christian Arroyo should be slotted in at second. He’s seen little time at shortstop, and moving him there would be a worst-case scenario. Kiké Hernandez was likely to play CF, but he may be able to handle short if needed. Doing so would create a void in the outfield, however.

Other options include rushing Ceddanne Rafaela or Enmanuel Valdez to the majors, but don’t bank on that happening. The best move would be for the Red Sox to seek a replacement outside of the organization.

If the Red Sox seek external options, there are two paths. They could add a veteran on a one-year deal to fill in while Story’s out or they could add a middle infielder who could play alongside Story once he’s back, pushing Story back to second base to save his arm.

Who’s out there that could potentially be of interest to Boston?

5. Jose Iglesias

The Red Sox have tried Jose Iglesias on two separate stints, and both times it worked pretty well. I During his time in Boston, Iglesias has hit .293/.346/.382 with a 98 OPS+ in 121 games. He most recently stopped in Boston for 23 games in 2021 and posted a .915 OPS.But oOutside of Boston he hasn’t been as good. Most recently with the Rockies in 2022, Iglesias slashed .292/.328/.380 with a 90 OPS+ and 0 OAA. Not bad, but still below his Sox output.

The 33-year-old Iglesias has been a journeyman for the past few years, but he’s held a starting job. He has flashes of hot streaks with his bat and then tends to go cold. This was the case in 2022 when he held a .781 OPS in his first 96 games and a .391 OPS in his last 22 games. The up-and-down waves make it hard to trust Iglesias over a full season, but he could be a fine candidate to replace Story for a couple months.

There may also be something to read into the way he plays in Boston. Iglesias was signed and raised by the Red Sox, and he hasn’t been the same anywhere else. He showed flashes in 2015 and 2020, but he’s never found sustained success anywhere. A one-year deal for a third stint in Boston could be a fitting reunion for both sides.

4. Elvis Andrus

Elvis Andrus may not seem like an exciting pickup for the Red Sox, but the 34-year-old enjoyed a return to relevancy with the Chicago White Sox last offseason, showing he may have more left in the tank. In 149 games in 2022, Andrus slashed .249/.303/.404 with a 103 OPS+, 17 home runs, and 3 OAA. He was also one of the best baserunners in the league with 18 steals and a 6.0 BsR. This was his best season since 2017.

Even if the hitting was a fluke, Andrus has been an excellent defender for years. Since 2017, Andrus has racked up 27 OAA, which is 10th among all shortstops. He’s also 21st in BsR over that span among all position players with 19.5. These stats show he’s been surprisingly good for awhile, but even in 2022 Andrus was a good defender and baserunner.

Andrus probably won’t hit like he did in 2022 again. He’s one of the weakest hitters in the league with a 34.8% hard hit rate (22nd percentile) and he doesn’t walk much (6.8 BB%, 32nd percentile). Despite his advanced age and declining speed, Andrus still has value as a good defender and baserunner. On a one-year deal, Andrus could very well step in and cover for Story.

3. Joey Wendle

The Red Sox have been reportedly in on Wendle throughout the offseason (per Chad Jennings of The Athletic), and now is the best time to strike a deal. Wendle’s not a perfect replacement — he slashed .259/.297/.360 with an 86 OPS+ in 2022 — but part of his appeal is his ability to play multiple positions very well. His glove is good enough to play a full season at SS while moving around the infield as needed.

One issue is his arm strength, though. Baseball Savant rates his arm better than Story’s — 25th percentile compared to 8th percentile — but ideally, he’s better suited for second base (even though he possesses the speed and the glove to play shortstop).

Wendle is under contract through the 2023 season, so regardless of whether the Red Sox would want to keep him past the season, his asking price should be low as a result of his impending free agency. Better yet, the Red Sox may be able to attach him to a starting pitcher in a trade, an option that was explored on the site last week.

1. Ha-Seong Kim

Let’s say the Red Sox want someone who could play either 2B or SS, and they want someone under contract beyond 2023. Enter Ha-Seong Kim, a free agent after the 2026 season. Kim is coming off of a breakout 5.1 rWAR season in which he showed an above average ability at every aspect of the game.

Kim took a year to adjust to major league hitting, and 2021 was a rather poor offensive display … but 2022 was much different. He slashed .251/.325/.383 with 11 home runs. Kim might never hit 20+ home runs in a season, as his batted ball data suggests. He’s able to elevate the ball more than expected, but BABIP hasn’t been on his side: .241 in 2021 and .290 in 2022. BABIP works best with a track record to compare it to, but it can still be said that he’s experiencing bad luck on that front.

Even if he’s just a light hitter with a solid ability to get on base, his defense makes up for it. He had 2 OAA at both 2B and SS in 2021, but as he got more time at shortstop in 2022, his OAA jumped to 8. That put him in the 95th percentile of all fielders. His 68th percentile arm strength holds up at SS and even let him get some time at 3B.

As things currently stand in San Diego, Kim should have a starting job at second base, but the team should have enough depth to consider moving him at the right price. The Red Sox could utilize him at SS for years as a short-term replacement or a long-term solution.

Trevor Story surgery further complicates Red Sox shortstop issues

Trevor Story underwent elbow surgery that will sideline him for several months, complicating a shortstop dilemma in the wake of losing Xander Bogaerts.