Who will end up manning shortstop for the Boston Red Sox when Opening Day rolls around to kick off the 2027 Major League Baseball season?
The first obstacle for the league to hurdle in general is the ongoing labor negotiations going on in baseball. In December, the collective bargaining agreement will expire. There very well could be a lockout coming, which could impact the 2027 season. In a perfect world, baseball will be played and Boston will have time this offseason to take the roster to another level. Shortstop is a position that has some question marks, but our prediction is that Trevor Story will still be manning the spot to begin the 2027 season, at least.
Red Sox top prospect Franklin Arias gets ready ahead of a Triple-A Worcester game earlier this year at Polar Park. Could we see the star shortstop play for Boston next year? | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Story has been the guy for Boston over the last few weeks, when he has been healthy. In 2026, he played in just 54 games. The other option would be top prospect Franklin Arias , who could be a big league option very quickly in 2027. Arias is the big question here. If the Red Sox view him as an Opening Day option, that could make Story expendable.
Story will make $25 million in 2027 and then has a $25 million club option for the 2028 season as well. Story would be an intriguing guy to watch in the trade market, if Boston made him available. Story returned from injury on Aug. 30 and he slashed .291/.322/.442 with two home runs, 10 RBIs, seven doubles and eight runs scored in 23 games played. But, on the other hand, he only played in over 100 games in one of his five seasons in Boston. In 2025, Story stayed healthy and was awesome. He smashed 25 home runs, drove in 96 runs and stole 31 bases in 157 games played.
If a team thought that they could keep Story healthy, there very well could be a team that convinces itself to make a move. But it would be a gamble. Before that, the idea of a trade is fully contingent on what Boston thinks of Arias. If the Red Sox view Arias as an upgrade right now, maybe it would make sense to make the change. Or, the Red Sox could make a move, like trading Jarren Duran , to open up the designated hitter spot. Then, you could slot Arias in at shortstop and move Story to designated hitter or second base. If Story played second base, you could put Curtis Mead at designated hitter, although Mead would likely be in the infield in that scenario.
At the end of the day, the Red Sox are going to have to make a shortstop decision this offseason. Is it going to be Story or is it going to be Arias? If it's Arias, do you trade Story or move him around? If healthy, Story arguably could still help this club, either in the infield or as a DH. But the Red Sox shouldn't close the door on anything if they could find an upgrade.
Still, the prediction here still stands: Story will man the position to begin the 2027 season, at least. Boston is going to enter the 2027 season as World Series contenders on paper. It would be a lot of pressure to not only have one of the top prospects in the league on an Opening Day roster, but have them playing one of the most difficult positions in the game. Plus, with World Series aspirations, it would be a big bet on a rookie. Arias' time will come . Maybe it should even be on Opening Day. If the Red Sox don't bring a big bat to town, maybe he could take second base with Mead at DH, or the top prospect could even get time as the DH. Story is a big voice in the clubhouse, has a lot of money attached to him, and likely has low trade value. He should still be in town to kick off the 2027 season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/onsi as Red Sox Shortstop Prediction: Trevor Story vs. Franklin Arias .
