Breslow doesn’t commit to Trevor Story as Red Sox shortstop in ’27

Craig Breslow and the Red Sox’ top brass have plenty of work to do when it comes to adding more power to a listless lineup this offseason.

But as Boston mulls potential trades and free-agent pickups ahead of a looming lockout, the Red Sox also need to sort out lingering questions about their current personnel — particularly veteran shortstop Trevor Story. ​

Story, who turns 34 this weekend, is entering the final guaranteed year of a six-year, $140 million deal with Boston.

And after an injury-riddled 2026 season for Story, Breslow wasn’t ready to commit to Story for a full-time role as Boston’s starting shortstop in 2027.​

“We know what Trevor is capable of doing when he’s healthy and performing,” Breslow told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas. “This year was disruptive for a number of reasons — with injury, some struggles at times. I think we’re always evaluating these things. We still have a ton of confidence in Trevor, but any decisions like that are going to take place between Trevor and me far before I speak to anything publicly.”

That’s not a reassuring vote of confidence for Story, who slashed .235/.271/.351 with five home runs and 29 RBI in just 64 games.

The writing has been on the wall for months that the Red Sox might be angling for a long-term change at shortstop — given that Boston was linked to several shortstops like Elly De La Cruz, Zach Neto, Otto Lopez, and CJ Abrams before MLB’s trade deadline in August.

And even if Boston doesn’t revisit those trade talks this winter, the Red Sox also have top prospect Franklin Arias in the pipeline — with the blue-chip shortstop potentially set to make his big-league debut next season.

The Red Sox have some serious reservations about Story’s durability and his standing as an impact bat. But moving on from him is a task easier said than done.

Story is owed $25 million for the 2027 season, so finding a taker via trade seems unlikely unless the Red Sox also want to eat a hefty portion of that salary and keep it on the books this year.

Boston could also shift Story to second base—a full-circle move for the veteran after he began his Boston career there because of the presence of Xander Bogaerts.

“Again, feels like we’re probably getting multiple steps ahead,” Breslow told McCaffrey and other reporters about moving Story around the infield. “Everything that I’ve seen and known and know about Trevor is that he’s a phenomenal teammate who cares deeply about winning. But beyond that, I think we’re speculating [about positional moves].”

The ability for Arias to make an immediate impact might hold the most sway over whether or not Story is on Boston’s roster next year.

The 20-year-old Arias — who currently sits No. 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects — is coming off a 2026 season where he slashed .323/.400/.957 with 25 home runs and 91 RBI over 117 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester.

Even with Arias’ intriguing potential, Breslow didn’t want to dive into scenarios in which Arias could break camp with the Red Sox in 2027.

“Premature,” Breslow said. “All the conversations that we’ve had with and about Franklin at this point are targeted on how we make the most of this offseason for him, getting bigger and stronger, continuing to push him on both sides of the ball and base running as well.”

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.