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Red Sox Get Bad News on Internal $140 Million First-Base Option

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated May 11, 2025 11:30 AM ET

Who will the Boston Red Sox ask to play first base after Rafael Devers' comments? That seems to be what the organization is searching for, a strange situation for all parties involved.

Trevor Story was asked if the Red Sox had approached him about playing first base, and revealed on Friday that the team hadn't said anything yet. However, Story, a veteran who wants to win, seems like he'd be willing to play first if needed.

While there’s reason to believe it could happen, according to Buster Olney of ESPN, it's something that likely won't happen in the near future.

"This was raised by ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez on the 'Baseball Tonight' podcast," Olney wrote. "But as difficult as it was to ask Devers to move off third base, it might be even more complicated getting Story to buy into the idea of moving to first. He's under contract for two more seasons after this year at $25 million annually, and he's been a shortstop for almost all of his 10-year career.

"Additionally: If the Red Sox are going to affect a major change, they'll do it to enhance their offense -- and Story hasn't been a big run-producer. Over 105 games in the past three seasons, he's slashing .233/.287/.354."

It's tough to ask a player to change positions in Major League Baseball, especially players of Story and Dever's caliber.

While Story has struggled a bit during his time with the Red Sox, he's still been perfect for much of his long career and might feel a bit disrespected by the team asking him to change positions.

However, this is a business at the end of the day, and after Boston paid him $140 million over six years, he should be looking to do what's best for the team.

The same can be said for Devers, but that hasn't been the case.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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