There was a reason for the delayed introduction that the Red Sox gave infielder Trevor Story after agreeing to a six-year, $140 million contract, according to a recent report.
As described by ESPN reporter Jeff Passan, the holdup — a period which lasted approximately 72 hours — pertained to Story’s vaccination status.
The 29-year-old was unvaccinated against COVID-19, according to Passan. This caused a delay in finalizing the deal, and could have potentially resulted in it falling apart.
“There were concerns the agreement could fall apart because Story was reluctant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” Passan explained.