Chaim Bloom’s plan without Xander Bogaerts hints Red Sox might not be done

The Boston Red Sox lost their longtime shortstop Xander Bogaerts to free agency. General manager Chaim Bloom revealed the plan to move forward without him.

When the Boston Red Sox lost Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres in free agency, it guaranteed an identity crisis of sorts at Fenway Park. Bogaerts has spent a decade at one of the most important defensive positions in Boston, so seeing anyone else out there is going to be a little disorienting.

That’s the mission Chaim Bloom, general manager of the team, is charged with, and he revealed the team’s plan to backfill the massive hole left by Bogaerts’ departure.

Speaking to The Athletic (subscription required), Bloom detailed what the Sox plan for short would be if they went an internal route to replace Bogaerts.

Bloom said that, internally speaking, Trevor Story is the shortstop, with Kike Hernandez playing centerfield.

Internal options are the default, but Red Sox might not be done

Bloom, in The Athletic article, didn’t shut down the idea of trading for a player. He also left the door open for a shorter signing with a higher AAV, which could keep the Sox in-play for the remaining star shortstops, Dansby Swanson and Carlos Correa. It seems as though the length of the Bogaerts deal was what turned the Sox off.

Fans are clearly frustrated with the comment of Story being the de facto plan at shortstop, but the offseason is far from over. Story played most of the season last year at second base. Hernandez played a handful at shortstop and second base with a majority in the outfield.

But also, Story has 36 defensive runs saved at short since 2019, the third-most in the MLB. He also previously didn’t want to move away from short. The bigger frustration is Story’s offense, though. His OPS hit a career-low .737 in 2022, and has declined every year since 2019 when he was an All-Star and Silver Slugger.

Remember, the Red Sox were engaged on Kolten Wong before he found his way to Seattle instead. Reading the tea leaves, it stands to reason that Story might be the name on the depth chart for now, but not for the whole season.

It may not be something the Red Sox get figured out before the spring, but it’s reasonable to expect there will be a new face at short in 2022.