Every MLB team has at least one contract they likely regret, as large deals often age poorly due to declining performance and injuries. For the Boston Red Sox, that contract is shortstop Trevor Story‘s six-year, $140 million deal. Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly named Story’s contract as the worst on the team heading into the 2025 season, with the Red Sox still owing him $72.5 million between 2025 and 2027.
At 32, Story was one of the best shortstops in baseball during his six seasons with the Colorado Rockies, hitting 24 or more home runs each season, excluding the shortened 2020 campaign. He was an All-Star in 2018 and 2019, finishing his time in Colorado with a 112 OPS+.
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The Red Sox signed Story in March 2022, but since then, he’s only played in 163 of the team’s 486 regular season games. His career has been hindered by numerous injuries, including hand and heel contusions in 2022 that limited him to just 94 games. In 2023, elbow surgery sidelined him for 43 games, and shoulder surgery in 2024 kept him out for all but 26 games. While the Red Sox didn’t expect him to return last season, he was activated off the 60-day IL on September 7.
When Story does play, he’s been a shadow of his former self, especially offensively. In his three seasons with Boston, his OPS is .693, significantly lower than the .863 OPS he posted in Colorado. Given his limited playing time and difficulty getting back into form, it’s uncertain if Story will ever return to his All-Star level. His contract includes a player opt-out after the 2025 season, but it’s likely he will opt in, as he would likely earn much less on the open market.
