Reports: Red Sox SS Trevor Story opts into contract, will return in 2026

Coming off a bounce-back 2025 season, Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story is opting into his contract and returning to Boston in 2026, according to multiple media reports.

Story, who had an opt-out after the fourth year of his six-year, $140 million deal he signed ahead of the 2022 season, has two years and $55 million left on the deal. The Red Sox additionally have a club option for $25 million in 2028, with a $5 million buyout if they decline it.

The veteran shortstop is coming off a breakthrough season reminiscent of how he started his career in Colorado. After battling injuries that limited him to 163 games over the 2022-24 seasons, he played 157 games this season. His .263 average this season was his best since 2020 (.289) while his 25 home runs were his most since 2019 (35).

Story, who turns 33 on Nov. 15, batted .385 in accounting for five of Boston's 19 hit, its only home run and three of its six RBIs in the wild-card series loss to the New York Yankees.

A two-time All-Star for the Rockies (2018, 2019), Story is a career .265 hitter with 204 homers and 636 RBIs in 1,065 regular-season games for Colorado (2016-21) and Boston.

Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman went the opposite way from Story on Monday, electing to opt out of the final two years of his three-year, $120 million contract to enter free agency.

--Field Level Media