Healthy Story excited for 2024 season
SPRINGFIELD >> This time last year Trevor Story walked around Winter Weekend with his arm in a brace, and though he struck an optimistic tone there were serious questions over whether he’d be able to play in 2023.
Now, Story is ready to be the guy Boston signed him to be.
Fully recovered from right elbow surgery and with the upheaval caused by the pandemic and lockout in the rear view mirror, Story is enjoying his first normal, healthy offseason in several years. After two seasons marked by injury and inconsistency, Story said he’s excited to finally get back to being the player he once was.
“It’s been nice not having to rehab anything and no reservations mentally about anything,” Story said. “I can really push the pace without having to be on a throw count or a swing count. I’ve realized that work so much already so really excited about that and to have a healthy spring.”
A two-time All-Star during his time with the Colorado Rockies, Story didn’t sign with Boston until late March 2022 and barely got a week of spring training before the season began. It took him nearly two months to settle in, and after an impressive midsummer stretch his season went off the rails when he broke his wrist when hit by a pitch.
Then this past winter concerns over the longterm health of his elbow were realized, and the subsequent internal bracing surgery wound up sidelining Story until mid-August.
Though he played good defense at shortstop upon his return, Story said he was basically just trying to survive at the plate, and he wound up batting just .203 with three home runs over the last seven weeks of the season.
“I pride myself on being a well-rounded player, I know that’s who I am but I haven’t shown that over the first couple years in Boston,” Story said in Springfield on Saturday afternoon. “Really excited to show Boston and the fans who I am as a total package. I feel like it’s the first time I’ll be able to do that.”
A healthy and consistent Story could be an enormous difference-maker for the Red Sox, but beyond his impact on the field, the 31-year-old is trying to make a bigger mark off of it. Story hopes to take on more of a leadership role in the clubhouse this season, and recently he invited several of the club’s younger players to an infielder’s camp he hosted in Dallas.
He’d benefitted as a prospect from a similar camp hosted by ex-Rockies great Troy Tulowitzki, and he said it was great to work more closely with the club’s up-and-coming standouts, who he called hungry, energetic and ready to learn.
“I know what that type of environment has done for me and my opportunity to give back to the Red Sox organization, because these are the guys who are going to help us win in the future,” Story said.
Among those who participated was Vaughn Grissom, the new Red Sox second baseman recently acquired in exchange for Chris Sale. Story said he was impressed by the newcomer and he feels the two of them being able to build up chemistry as a doubleplay tandem will go a long way towards helping solve the defensive woes that plagued Boston for much of last season.
As for whether or not the front office has done enough to bolster the roster, Story said he and the other players aren’t concerned about that. They all have to improve, and they intend to do whatever it takes to win.
“It’s going to be up to us to embrace that, because it’s not our job to talk about who we should have or shouldn’t have,” Story said. “It’s our job to show up and get the best out of the group that we have. We feel confident about that.”
O’Neill excited to learn Fenway outfield
Having spent his entire career playing in the NL Central, Tyler O’Neill didn’t get many chances to visit Fenway Park while a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. The opportunity did come once in the summer of 2022, however, allowing O’Neill to start all three games in the shadow of the Green Monster in left field.
Now the two-time Gold Glove winner is going to get to spend a lot more time at the historic ballpark.
Acquired this winter in exchange for two pitching prospects, O’Neill is expected to replace Alex Verdugo as one of Boston’s primary outfielders, though where exactly he’ll slot is still uncertain. O’Neill has primarily played left field throughout his career and he’d be an upgrade defensively over Masataka Yoshida, who could instead play more designated hitter, but he could also potentially play center or right, depending on the club’s plans for Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since joining the Red Sox, O’Neill said he’ll be ready and willing no matter where Alex Cora puts him.
“I only played left field here, the ballpark is so awesome and I’m looking forward to getting to know it better,” O’Neill said. “I haven’t been on the right field side of the ballpark yet, let alone center field, so I don’t know what it looks like exactly for positioning for me, but what I can say is I’m willing and able to play wherever Alex wants me on a day to day basis. I know I have the range to play right field if I have to, wherever they want me, I’m willing and able.”
O’Neill said he hasn’t been told where he’ll play yet, but it won’t affect his preparation for the season either way. Having dealt with injuries that limited him to 72 games in 2023 and 92 games the year before, O’Neill is hoping to get back to being the player he was in 2021, when he hit 34 home runs with a .912 OPS, both by far the highest totals of his career.
“I fully believe that player is still in there” O’Neill said “I feel I have more than that in the tank still.”
Extra innings
In addition to incumbents Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck, Josh Winckowski and newcomer Cooper Criswell each said they’ve also been told to prepare for the season as a starting pitcher. Criswell signed with Boston last month for $1 million and trains with Whitlock in Alabama during the offseason. … Cora declined to name an Opening Day starter on Friday night, but Brayan Bello is expected to be a strong contender. The 24-year-old said earning the Opening Day start is a goal of his and he plans to report to Fort Myers early to get a head start preparing for the upcoming season.