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Boston Red Sox lineup prediction with Trevor Story in it

By Tim Boyle

BOSTON, MA - MAY 24: Trevor Story #27 of the Colorado Rockies makes a throw to first base in the first inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 24, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 24: Trevor Story #27 of the Colorado Rockies makes a throw to first base in the first inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 24, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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This is what the Boston Red Sox starting lineup could be with Trevor Story now on the roster.

The Boston Red Sox have a new second baseman. It’s Trevor Story.

All offseason long, the story with Story was that he would only play shortstop. Well, with Opening Day approaching quickly, he changed his mind. He was willing to move to second base in order to get a deal done with the Red Sox.

The new addition to the Red Sox deepens the starting lineup. What will it look like when the season begins?

Predicting the Red Sox starting lineup for 2022

The addition of Story to the Red Sox lineup gives them space to move a few guys down. Likely to hit somewhere in the middle, this is the kind of lineup we should expect them to come out with when the season begins.

  1. Enrique Hernandez, CF
  2. Xander Bogaerts, SS
  3. Rafael Devers, 3B
  4. J.D. Martinez, DH
  5. Trevor Story, 2B
  6. Alex Verdugo, LF
  7. Bobby Dalbec, 1B
  8. Christian Vazquez, C
  9. Jackie Bradley Jr., RF

Enrique Hernandez at the top to set the lineup feels too perfect for Boston. It’s in the number two hole where I think there’s a little more to debate.

I’m going to predict we see Xander Bogaerts batting second. There’s a reason for this. Behind him, Rafael Devers and his more powerful bat will help split up the two righties, Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez. It’s a simple strategy. Plus, with Devers coming off of a 38 home run campaign and Bogaerts looking like a better OBP guy, it could create more RBI opportunities for the third baseman.

Martinez gets the honor of batting cleanup with the new guy, Story, batting behind him. Hopefully, for the sake of Boston, the improved lineup around Story makes his down year in 2021 a blip.

After Story, we go back to the left side with Alex Verdugo. One of the club’s young rising stars will have room to move up the order. Story may have a brand new contract but he’ll have to prove himself in a new city to stick at No. 5.

The final three batters in the order will be Bobby Dalbec, Christian Vazquez, and Jackie Bradley Jr. Dalbec has power but not much else. Vazquez is about average yet because of questions about Bradley Jr., makes a little more sense hitting eighth. What’s more, Bradley Jr. does have some speed. Hitting him ninth can help turn the lineup over back to the top.

This might not be the greatest Red Sox lineup of all-time. Looking at it, we can see just how badly they needed a guy like Story.

Next. 4 ways the Yankees lost the free agent shortstop frenzy. dark

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