After the first three (disastrous) years of his Boston Red Sox contract, it was hard to believe fans could be excited about his choice to opt in to the final two years of the deal. One great season later, Story's decision to stick around is a relief.
After a resurgent season at the plate, Story has become one of Boston's most reliable and clutch hitters. He slashed .263/.308/.433 with a .741 OPS, 29 doubles, a team-leading 25 home runs, and 96 RBI over 157 games. He's also one of the few veterans in the Sox's relatively young clubhouse, a number which could shrink with the potential departure of Alex Bregman.
In his interview with reporters shortly after the Red Sox's Wild Card elimination, Story gave a hint that he intended to stay with Boston by saying that he "came here to be here for a long time.” In a November 6 appearance on NESN's "310 to Left" podcast with Tom Caron and Alex Speier, Story elaborated on his decision to opt in — it'll have Sox fans ready to run through a brick wall.
“To me, it’s pretty simple. There’s not another organization I want to be a part of... I’m just in love with the place, and got some unfinished business,” Story said.
"With the resources that we have being the Red Sox, we know that [Craig Breslow] and ownership are going to keep adding to the group. All things considered, it just feels like a rocket ship is about to take off.”
Trevor Story is confident that the Red Sox will improve before start of the 2026 season
The Sox are just a few additions away from a long playoff run, and Story's confidence that the team will get what it needs this winter is inspiring. The shortstop lavished praise onto a Red Sox team on the come-up, and he noted that Boston could be one of the best places to be in baseball at the moment, given the team's potential (subscription required).
Story said that all conversations he had with the front office point to a big offseason with additions that will help take the Red Sox to the next level. Many fans are still, justifiably, hesitant to believe such optimism — Boston has still not spent the way fans are used to from the early 2000s-2018, it took until February to land Bregman, and it only managed to keep him for a year without another pursuit in free agency.
Hopefully, Story's vision for the 2026 Red Sox is correct. Boston is a power bat and another elite pitcher away from rivaling the Blue Jays and Yankees' positions in the American League East. There has been a notable shift in the front office's messaging this offseason which reflects everything Story said he was told by the men in charge — all the Red Sox need is for John Henry and Breslow to be willing to get uncomfortable.