
<p>The <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/mlb/top-3-mlb-extension-candidates-20230108-SPD-3314.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Red Sox</a></strong> have had a rough offseason so far, and on Tuesday they learned that shortstop Trevor Story would miss a large portion of the 2023 season due to elbow surgery. After Xander Bogaerts left, the expectation was that Story, who started at second base last season, would go over to shortstop.</p>



<p>Things couldn’t go much worse for the Red Sox at this time. There were a ton of good shortstops available this winter, but as of Tuesday night, they were all signed. This leaves Boston’s senior baseball executive, Chaim Bloom, with a lot of work to do in the coming weeks since the Red Sox plan to use Enrique Hernandez and Christian Arroyo in the middle infield.</p>



<p>Bloom and the Red Sox need a shortstop, but they don’t know where to go or who to ask. Check out the top four emergency options for the Red Sox, as per <em>CBS Sports</em>.</p>



<h2>4. Jose Iglesias</h2>



<p>Iglesias, alongside Andrus, is the top remaining free agent possibility is Jose Iglesias. He’s been with the Red Sox twice, both times as a second baseman by the end of the 2021 season. At this stage of his career, he should definitely stick to that side of the bag, but the Red Sox can’t afford to be greedy right now.</p>



<h2>3. Taylor Wall</h2>



<p>Wall is a switch-hitter who, in over 200 games in the majors, has produced dreadful offensive stats. Fortunately, his defensive play relies on it. While public metrics like Defensive Runs Saved give him high marks, Statcast’s Outs Above Average give him low marks.</p>



<h2>2. Joey Wendle</h2>



<p>The Red Sox have reportedly shown interest in Wendle and Miguel Rojas, who both play for the Marlins. Despite Wendle’s below-average hitting performance in his debut year with the Marlins, he had posted above-average numbers in each of the two prior campaigns. Moreover, his defensive adaptability would allow him to remain in Boston’s rotation even after Story’s late summer comeback.</p>



<h2>1. Elvis Andrus</h2>



<p>The Red Sox would be wise to pursue <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/mlb/carlos-correa-and-the-most-shocking-mlb-trades-in-this-offseason-20221223-SPD-3278.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Andrus</a></strong>. The 34-year-old has shown no signs of improving his offensive production in the past, therefore it’s quite improbable that he will do so in the future. However, he has lived up to his reputation as a solid defender, and signing him to a one-year contract wouldn’t mean the Red Sox passed up on total-package shortstops.</p>


Elvis Andrus

Red Sox: Top 4 replacements for Trevor Story after elbow surgery

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