Chaim Bloom is a bit of a devise figure in Boston Red Sox lore. While he was the architect behind the team’s trade of Mookie Betts and left the team for dead in 2022, he also helped build a team that made it to the 2021 American League Championship Series and helped make some big acquisitions that have helped the Red Sox this year.
One of those acquisitions was shortstop Trevor Story, who is finally looking like a superstar after enduring three up-and-down seasons to the start of his Boston tenure. As a reminder to the uninitiated, Bloom signed Story to a six-year, $140 million contract ahead of the 2022 season in the hopes that he’d hold down shortstop for the Red Sox after six productive seasons with the Colorado Rockies.
He started that contract with a solid 2022 season (.238, 16 HR, 66 RBI) but only managed to play in 69 games across the next two seasons due to injuries to his right ulnar collateral ligament (2023) and his right shoulder (2024). But he’s been healthy this year and is on pace to have not only his best season in Boston — and one of the best seasons in his career.
The Red Sox have moved Story all over the diamond and the lineup, and he’s done nothing but put his head down and produce when he’s been on the field. While his on field production is a great sign for Boston, he’s also a key veteran presence in a Red Sox clubhouse that’s just getting younger and younger.
Trevor Story’s unlikely turnaround has Red Sox fans thanking Chaim Bloom once again
Trevor Story jump throw! pic.twitter.com/Tnf9gatO4o
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 26, 2025
He’s been even better as of late, as he’s hitting .308 with 11 home runs and 50 RBI since June 1, marking one of the best stretches of his career.
“Hitting in the middle of the order, (knocking them in) is kind of your job,” Story said recently, per MassLive’s Sean McAdam. “They get on base for you and it’s our turn in the middle of the order to cash those guys in. There’s times to take your shot. But yeah, it’s been fun coming through in those situations.”
And, in a bit of a unique twist, he’s also providing some value on the base paths. Story, who ranks in the 81st percentile in sprint speed, has stolen 19 bases this year without being caught, which is one away from the team record for the most stolen bases without getting caught to start a season.
Although Ceddanne Rafaela and Alex Bregman’s strong seasons have generated a lot of attention in Boston, Story’s quietly becoming irreplaceable on the field, which has been a huge boon for Craig Breslow and the rest of the Red Sox front office.
He has his predecessor to thank for that.