The season the Colorado Rockies have a 15-26 record which makes them the worst team in the National League. Trevor Story has been a diamond in the rough compared to the rest of the Rockies organization this year. The two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger is viewed as one of the best young shortstops in the game. At the end of the 2021 campaign Story will be an unrestricted free agent and likely take his talent elsewhere.
The Rockies organization is aware of this and will likely use him as trade bait at the deadline. Every year, teams move superstars on expiring contracts to World Series contenders. Often teams will be so hungry for a championship that they will overvalue a trade to get over the hump. The Rockies will look to take advantage of that greed this summer and cash in on a Trevor Story trade. In this article, I’m going to outline five teams that could acquire Trevor Story before July 30th.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an intriguing, yet confusing, trade destination for Trevor Story. The Yankees have had their hat in the ring for quite some time regarding Trevor Story. Every time Story is rumored to be on the move, the Bronx Bombers are said to be calling in about his availability. This should come as no surprise to Yankee fans because they are a big market team always vying for a championship. However, the Yanks are sitting at third in the competitive AL East this season and will need a spark to reach the top. Trevor Story could be the extra piece the Yankees need this year.
However, this is where things get confusing. The Yankees infield is flooded with talent and a spot for Story may be hard to come by. DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres are everyday starters in the middle infield. Both players are performing relatively well with ten RBIs apiece and a combined BA of .253. Not to mention their counterpart Gio Urshela is performing even better in the hot corner, so they can’t stick Story there. Realistically, a trade for Story might not seem like something the Yankees need. However, with the competitive status of the AL East, the Yankees will need to be aggressive to come out on top. Extra-depth and competition never hurt anyone, and with an injury-prone DH in Giancarlo Stanton extra bats would help the Yankees.
San Francisco Giants
This pick may seem surprising to many, but I think it could be huge for the Giants. The San Fransisco Giants are currently first in the NL West, shocking many across the league. In every Pre-Season Power Rankings, I saw the number one and two spots go to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Now, those two teams are looking up at the Giants in the division. Yet, that could easily change. It’s one thing to shock the league with a good start but it is much harder to be consistent and maintain a division lead. The Dodgers and Padres are very good teams, and the Giants will need to be great to win the division.
Currently, the Giants shortstop is Brandon Crawford. Crawford has been a reliable shortstop for the Giants for over a decade now. He’s not a player that needs to be replaced, but Story would certainly be an upgrade. Trevor Story is younger, has more power in his swing, and has a higher dWAR (defensive Wins Above Replacement) in each season since 2017. A young superstar like Story will help put runs on the board will providing great defensive play. Not to mention, the Giants have two-second basemen on the 10 days IL so the two shortstops could even hit the field together. Because if their ultra-competitive division, the Giants need to play to win, trading for Trevor Story is the perfect way to do that.
Oakland Athletics:
A more obvious destination for Trevor Story would be the Oakland Athletics. They currently sit atop the AL West with Houston Astros only hanging half a game behind. Playing in this division, the Athletics are really only fighting with the Astros to win the division. With the playoffs so close to their grasps, you have to believe they are going to do everything in their power to get there. Trevor Stroy would be a tremendous step towards winning the division.
The Athletics current shortstop Elvis Andrus is struggling this season with a WAR of -0.8. In addition, he’s batting measly .183 with a .232 OBP. Clearly, a guy like Trevor Story would be a tremendous addition to the squad. What makes the trade challenging is the fact that the Athletics have the 26th best farm system, so they don’t have much trade bait hanging around. However, a small budget team like Oakland should do whatever it can to get a rental like Story. That will help them potentially make the promised land, without breaking the bank.
Milwaukee Brewers:
This trade would make the NL Central race down the stretch phenomenal. Currently, the Brewers are sitting in second place just two games back of the St. Louis Cardinals. This division also features solid Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs teams that will make for lots of excitement. The Brewers have tunnel vision and are staring right at the division crown. But, if they don’t make any moves at the deadline they will likely fall short.
The Cardinals have one of the deadliest lineups in baseball and likely won’t falter. With this early performance, experts are saying they could very well represent the National League in the World Series. The Brew Crew has some star power of its own with Christian Yelich, Josh Hader, Lorenzo Cain, and others. Yet, they are lacking in the shortstop position. While Luis Urias has 4 home runs, he is lacking with a .209 BA. Adding Trevor Story in that position will add necessary star power to the Brewers’ everyday lineup, allowing them to go toe to toe with the Cards.
Tampa Bay Rays:
The newly crowned City of Champions is upset to see their beloved baseball team tied for third in the AL East. However, there is no need to fear quite yet. This division is ultra-competitive and filled with good teams. The Boston Red Sox have shocked everyone by playing like the unquestioned best team in baseball up until this point of the season. The New York Yankees are consistently good and this year is no different. While the Rays can expect some bumps in their road to success, they can’t expect to be handed the division crown. They have to be assertive.
The Yankees are always buyers at the deadline and I already listed them as a potential landing spot for Trevor Story. This makes it even more imperative that the Rays put together a good package for the star shortstop, so the Yankees don’t steal him first. The good news for the Rays fans: you have a greater need for Story. Willy Adames is batting .198 right now which is unacceptable by any standards. You cannot win the NL East with a shortstop like that. This gaping hole in their lineup will likely make them aggressive in the hunt for Story this July. Luckily for them, they have the best farm system in baseball. No one is better equipped to trade for Story than the Rays, and hopefully, they take advantage of that.
