Trevor Story has missed most of the Boston Red Sox's season after getting sports hernia surgery, but he is currently on a rehab assignment, waiting to make his return to the lineup.
Making $25 million, Story will slot back in as the everyday shortstop. The problem with that is he was not playing great when he was healthy this year. Last season, he posted a .741 OPS and hit 25 home runs. It was his best season in years, headlined by his health.
This year, he had a .206 average through 41 games. If he comes back and struggles, what will the Red Sox do? Well, the right move would be to bench him, but he makes a ton of money. Chad Tracy may actually do the right thing and play the right player over the contract. If he decides to bench Story, the team has a few options to replace him.
The top option would be Andruw Monasterio. Since July 1, he has the third-best OPS on the team and has been the everyday shortstop since July 22. His defense is not the best, but his bat is red hot, and he has earned the right to stay in the lineup. Tracy has noted that Monasterio will play second base with Story back, but if Story gets benched, Monasterio could go back to shortstop, opening the door for Isiah Kiner-Falefa to play second base until Curtis Mead is back.
The Red Sox may prefer Kiner-Falefa's defense at shortstop, so he could be the direct replacement for Story, leaving Monasterio at second base.
The popular option among fans may be to call Franklin Arias up. He is the Red Sox's top prospect and seems to be the shortstop of the future. He is performing well in Triple-A, although it is still early for him at the level.