Red Sox Already Have Trevor Story Insurance in Top Prospect

If the Boston Red Sox end up making a change at some point, they have coverage down in the minors.

May 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) steals second base ahead of the throw to Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) in the seventh inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have a lot of problems on offense right now.

Arguably, the Red Sox's offensive struggles aren't tied to just one person. It's a sum of the parts and Boston's offense in general has been bad. Four consistent members of the Red Sox's lineup are batting .210 or lower right now. Carlos Narváez is at .210, Trevor Story is at .203, Jarren Duran is at .189 and Caleb Durbin is at .169.

At some point, Boston is going to need to make some sort of change. You can't roll out a lineup with four guys getting on base at such a low clip and expect the offense to magically turn around. Connor Wong has played in 17 games and is hitting .255. Boston doesn't have Roman Anthony in the lineup right now, but when he returns, so too will the Red Sox's outfield logjam. At that point, Boston will have to decide whether to continue rolling with Duran on a consistent basis with Masataka Yoshida on the bench, or flip the roles. As for the infield, there isn't an answer or replacement on the big league roster right now. Neither Andruw Monasterio nor Isiah Kiner-Falefa has done enough to push Story or Durbin out.

If things don't change, the Red Sox very well may need to look to the minors for a potential solution. One option who will be interesting to watch is No. 1 prospect Franklin Arias. He's just 20 years old, but Roman Anthony was last year as well.

The Red Sox Need To Consider All Options

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

There are few players down in the minors as red-hot as Arias right now. He's with Double-A Portland right now and is slashing .367/.442/.684 with a 1.126 OPS. On top of this, he has eight homers, 23 RBIs, three stolen bases, seven doubles and 21 runs scored in 27 games played.

At this point, Arias should be up in Triple-A as fast as possible. He can play both second base and shortstop. If he gets a promotion soon and stays as red-hot as he has, then at some point Boston is going to think long and hard about whether it should simply roll the dice on the phenom, or stick with Story at shortstop or Durbin at third base. For Durbin, he is playing Gold Glove-level defense, which is obviously positive. But the Red Sox desperately need offense.

Arias certainly isn't imminent to come to the majors, but if he keeps playing this well, a discussion will be necessary. The Red Sox could simply put him at shortstop, leave Marcelo Mayer at second base, and keep Durbin at third base. Another conversation could be Mayer at third base, Story at shortstop, and Arias at second base. Another could be Mayer at third base, Arias at shortstop and Story at second base. Another could be Durbin at third base, Mayer at shortstop, and Arias at second base. There are options.

Boston needs offense and Arias is one of the hottest prospects down in the minors right now. If he keeps this up over the next few months, he should be a big league option.