Boston is on a tear, ripping off four straight thrilling wins, and their roster is electric right now. These guys are locking in and finding ways to get the W, which is exactly what you want to see. But here’s the kicker, a real wrench in the gears: two injured stars, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Trevor Story, are nearing their returns. With the current middle infielders absolutely producing, bringing both back is gonna cause some serious headaches. And honestly? Kiner-Falefa looks like the odd man out, even though he’s putting up better numbers.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, But The Money Does
You look at the stats, and it’s pretty clear who’s been balling out. Kiner-Falefa, in his 47 games, slashed an impressive .277/.344/.361/.705, snagging four doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI, and seven stolen bases. That’s solid production, right? Now, let’s peek at Story’s 41 games: a .206/.244/.303/.547 slash line with seven doubles, three homers, 19 RBI, and four stolen bases. Statistically, if you just looked at the box score, IKF seems like the better player and absolutely deserves a spot on that Boston roster. Anyone watching would agree.
The Contract That Aged Like Milk Is Now The Boss
So, why is the guy with the better numbers getting pushed aside? It all comes down to the almighty dollar, and Boston’s colossal mistake from 2022. That’s when they inked Trevor Story to a six-year, $140 million contract, with a $25 million club option for 2028. They shelled out that insane cash because they thought he’d be the star he was with the Colorado Rockies, an All-Star, Silver Slugger, MVP candidate, the whole nine yards. But man, that deal has aged like milk. Between injuries and just plain poor performance, it’s a total bust. But here’s the catch 22: they can’t just stash him in AAA, they can’t trade him without eating a monstrous 80% of that contract, and if they release him, they still owe him for another year. Meanwhile, Kiner-Falefa is on a super manageable one-year, $6 million rental deal. That contract is, let’s be honest, totally dumpable.
What’s Next For Boston’s Infield Shuffle?
So, what’s the move here? It’s pretty clear. Boston will keep Story at the MLB level, crossing their fingers he suddenly finds his old form so they can offload him in the offseason without taking a huge financial hit. As for Kiner-Falefa? His pre-injury contributions apparently didn’t stack up to guys like Nick Sogard, Mickey Gasper, or Anthony Seigler in Boston’s recent turnaround. That means he’s likely headed to AAA or getting waived. It’s a tough pill to swallow when a player performs better but gets cut because of a bad contract situation, but that’s the business of baseball, even when a team is red hot. Keep an eye on how Story performs; his future, and Boston’s payroll flexibility, hinges on it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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