MLB News

Trevor Story injury: Elvis Andrus, Joey Wendle and more emergency shortstop options for the Red Sox

Trevor Story injury: Elvis Andrus, Joey Wendle and more emergency shortstop options for the Red Sox


The Boston Red Sox, no stranger to unfortunate developments this offseason, encountered another on Tuesday when they announced that infielder Trevor Story will miss a significant chunk of the 2023 season after undergoing an elbow procedure. Story, last year’s starting second baseman, had been expected to take over at shortstop following Xander Bogaerts‘ departure. 

The timing couldn’t be worse for the Red Sox. This winter’s free-agent class was brimming with high-quality shortstops; all of them have already signed as of Tuesday night. (Heck, Carlos Correa had reached agreements on three different occasions with three different teams.) That means Boston’s top baseball executive Chaim Bloom will have his work cut out for him over the coming weeks as he looks to improve upon a middle infield that, at least for the present, is slated to include Enrique Hernández (who has never served as a primary shortstop in the majors) and Christian Arroyo

Just where and to whom might Bloom and the Red Sox turn to solve their shortstop problem? Below, CBS Sports has highlighted five potential options.

In our estimation, Andrus is the most logical fit for the Red Sox. He’s coming off a resurgent season at the plate, having batted .249/.303/.404 (103 OPS+) in 149 games split between the Athletics and White Sox. Of course, there are reasons why he’s left standing in the open while all the other notable free-agent shortstops have found places to hang their hats. Namely, Andrus is a 34-year-old whose track record suggests he’s highly unlikely to repeat last season’s offensive performance heading forward. Still, he continues to uphold his reputation as a good defender, and it’s not as though the Red Sox would be bypassing total-package shortstops to sign him to a one-year deal.

The Red Sox have already been linked on the rumor mill to Wendle and Marlins teammate Miguel Rojas. We’re giving this space to Wendle because Bloom is familiar with him from their shared time with the Rays. (Does that kind of stuff actually matter in these cases? Who knows.) Wendle had a disappointing first season in Miami, but he’d been an above-average hitter in each of the previous two seasons. Meanwhile, his defensive versatility would make him a continued fit for the Boston roster even if and when Story returns late in the summer. We’ll note that Wendle and Rojas are both impending free agents, which could make the…

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…