Alex Bregman officially opted out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox on November 3, and the club could've had a potential disaster on its hands in the infield with one more opt out. Fortunately, the Sox will avoid it.
Trevor Story has opted in to the final two years of his contract with Boston, first reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The Red Sox will have to return to the open market to discuss a potential reunion with Bregman, and they'll miss out on the same fate with Story.
After Boston's playoff elimination, Story gave reporters a hint that he may stick with the Sox instead of opting out.
“It’s not at the top of mind. I’m not gonna speak on that right now,” Story said when asked about his upcoming opt out. “But I came here to be here for a long time.”
Alongside his initial report of Story's opt out decision, Cotillo noted that Story appreciates the Red Sox organization after his first four years with the team. He posted only 163 games across his first three seasons due to multiple injuries, but Boston stuck by him as its starting shortstop when he fully returned to action in 2025.
Trevor Story opts in to final two years of Red Sox contract, preventing another offseason need for Boston
Story has two years left and is said to appreciate the organization and its direction. Big early piece of offseason business for the Red Sox as their shortstop returns.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) November 4, 2025
If Story did decide to opt out, the Red Sox had the right to void his choice by adding another year onto the end of his contract. The veteran will make $25 million in each of the final two seasons on his deal.
Multiple reporters and insiders speculated that Story could take to the free agent market amid a weak class of middle infielders to find a more lucrative deal than the one he has in Boston. Bo Bichette leads this year's class as the best shortstop available, but he's a rough defender — Story has historically had him beat in that category, but his defensive range decreased significantly this year. Ha Seong Kim will also be available as a shortstop, and the top second basemen available are Gleyber Torres, Wili Castro, and potentially Brandon Lowe, who has a club option on his contract.
The Red Sox should be glad that Story decided to stick around. If Bregman doesn't re-sign with Boston and it doesn't find a replacement at third base on the market, Marcelo Mayer could move to the hot corner in his place. If Story also opted out, Boston would have to decide where to play Mayer, and it could have another free agent or trade pursuit on its hands.
Story was also the Sox's home run leader with 25 bombs in 2025, and their offense could desperately need him given its lack of power. A big bat should be high on Boston's offseason checklist, but Story's return prevents an even more severe power outage in the lineup.