The Boston Red Sox still owe a combined $124 million to Trevor Story and Masataka Yoshida through the 2027 season. According to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, the team may ultimately have to absorb most of that cost to facilitate trades involving either player.
In his Sunday Baseball Notes column, Abraham commented, “A backup designated hitter who bats left-handed—like Yoshida—is not what the Red Sox need. In fact, they don’t need another lefty bat at all. While Boston may not be the right fit, Yoshida still has value as a hitter elsewhere.”
Abraham added that the team may eventually need to “admit defeat” and cover a large portion of Yoshida’s remaining salary to move him. A similar scenario could unfold with Story, especially with top shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer making waves in Triple-A. Mayer is off to a solid start, batting .267 with two home runs and nine RBIs through his first 11 games at that level.
Both Story and Yoshida were signed under former GM Chaim Bloom. Story inked a six-year, $140 million contract in March 2022, while Yoshida signed a five-year, $90 million deal later that year. Persistent injuries have plagued both players, limiting their production and availability.
Last December, The Athletic listed Story’s deal as the fifth-worst contract in Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, Yoshida’s signing was met with skepticism from league executives—one even told ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, “I have no words,” when asked about the size of Yoshida’s deal.
This past offseason, Boston attempted to include Yoshida in a trade package with first baseman Triston Casas to the Seattle Mariners, but the offer was rejected.
