Barring a contract extension, Rockies shortstop Trevor Story will be one of the most sought-after free agents on the open market next winter. The Rockies don’t expect to trade Story before the season starts, but they also haven’t discussed a long-term deal with the 28-year-old, Nick Groke of The Athletic tweets.
“Yeah, it’s a contract year, but to me, every year is pretty much that way,” Story said.
This doesn’t mean the Rockies and Story won’t find a deal in the next few weeks, as extensions often take time to come together during spring training. However, odds seem to be against the Rockies retaining Story, especially after they let go of third baseman Nolan Arenado – who partnered with Story to form a tremendous left side of the infield – in a trade with the Cardinals this month.
The Rockies did save quite a bit of money in giving up Arenado, which could help them extend Story. But the Rockies don’t look as if they’ll contend in the near future, which might help prevent Story from inking a long-term pact with the club. If there isn’t a deal in place by the summer trade deadline, Story will be a prime candidate to wind up on the move.
Story is set to earn $17.5MM in 2021, when he’ll try to follow up on a stellar three-year run in which he batted .292/.355/.554 (124 wRC+) with 83 home runs and 65 stolen bases in 1,571 plate appearances. He also notched 20 Defensive Runs Saved and a 10.3 Ultimate Zone Rating at short during that span. The entire package was worth 13.5 fWAR, which ranked 10th among position players and placed Story right behind fellow shortstops Francisco Lindor and Xander Bogaerts.
As of now, Story and the Mets’ Lindor are scheduled to be part of a loaded class of shortstops in free agency next winter. The Dodgers’ Corey Seager, the Astros’ Carlos Correa, the Cubs’ Javier Baez, the Blue Jays’ Marcus Semien and the Twins’ Andrelton Simmons are also on track to reach the open market then.
The Rockies will definitely give Story a big extension. You know how I know? Because that is the last thing they should do.
Yeah why retain their best player who is 28? Sure, if they could trade him for a haul, but in this landscape of penny-pinching, what owner is giving up multiple prospects for a guy making $17.5 million who is a free agent after 2021?
That is exactly what some of the RS writers, and others, were saying about Betts.
But, if you are a team like the LAD, and have prospects coming out the wazoo, and need a 6-WAR SS, then of course you will trade for him.
Rox wont trade Story to LA, they wouldnt do it with Arenado, they wont do it with Story..
Guy said team like the dodgers not the dodgers themselves
@Teufel
The Dodgers don’t need Story, but if they did, the Rockies would be foolish not to consider the offer. The Rockies have no chance of contending this year and Story is under contract for just this year. They get assets from the king of the division, which will weaken them long-term, while giving up someone they have no use for who will not be around when they’re ready to compete again. Some may say, “But the Dodgers could sign him to a long-term contract.” Sure, so could any willing team in baseball, but they could do that anyway. There’s nothing to be gained by the Rockies turning up their nose at any given team.
What team other than LAD has “prospects coming out of the wazoo” and the available payroll?
@hyrax I’m gonna call you the hammer from now on because you nailed it. Although i do believe that the Dodgers ultimately go with either Seager or Lindor.
People don’t want to trade for him now because of money (this isn’t actually true), but you think it’s a good idea for them to extend him? The same team that just paid $50m to get rid of their previous best player that they decided to extend. Your thought process is how teams remain irrelevant
@1984 since you’ve seen the books, how much did the owners lose last year?
You should really work on your reading comprehension, your post has nothing to do with what I said.
If they pay Arizona 50 mill to take off of heir 3rd basemen off their hands I don’t think signing Story to a long term deal is a possibility unless they are stupid as a bag of rocks… oh like I said they paid Cardinals 50 million to take their best players getting back marginal players.. they are that stupid
Also in the news. Water is wet
I honestly would put money on the Angels signing him. no Pujols to pay, and Moreno loves offense. that 2-3-4would he killer! the rotation …not so much
Arte does love signing position players on the wrong side of 30
He’s 28.
Ya Story or Seager seem like legit possibilities. I think they’re a tier below lindor and Baez (as far as what they will get payed, partly because of age) but just as skilled. I could see a 5-6 year deal in the 110+ range.
Baez will get less money than both seager and Story, not even close.
For some reason I thought Baez was significantly younger than story, but I was wrong. Story and Seager have better track records, but also more injury history. It’s a crazy free agency market for SS, will be interesting to see what happens
Baez is a tier or two below Story.
Lindor and Story are the only tier one FA SS next offseason. After that, it’s tier 2 and below. Baez is strange because is hard hit, barrels, and other advanced metrics never reflected a prodigious offensive player. One cannot argue his defensive prowess. Seager is uniquely positioned because of his upward trend and his youth – but I don’t see LAD letting him go to another team anyway, so he’s probably irrelevant for FA as a whole.
Baez’s total WAR the past 3 seasons crushes Seager’s
Yeah Jim, his offensive explosion really helped him. I think Seager’s improving performance (ala ‘20 WS) coupled with his age will net him a substantial sum {with the Dodgers}.
Baez openly said he wants to stay with the Cubs, so I wonder if they will pay what it takes make that happen? I would be very pleased to see him in a Yankee uniform if only for his defense. Love watching his field play.
It will probably be Lindor, Story, Baez, Seager – in that order for contract $$ imho.
WAR is a cumulative stat and Seager was injured in 2018 and only played 26 games. Over the course of their careers Baez has played 724 games to Seager’s 541 games and Baez’s overall WAR is 17.7 while Seager’s is 17.8.
And being able to take the field is an important attribute for a player…
That it is. Seager was out at the start 2018 because of surgery and that has been about it. Baez has missed time due to injury as well and was called up a year earlier than Seager which explains the more games played by Baez.
My point in that argument was that Jim was only pointing to the WAR stat for Baez over the three year period because it made Baez look better. While using the same metric over the course of their respective careers, Seager has been better even with fewer games played.
I personally look at slash line and defensive numbers in which Seager is better offensively (.295/.362/.500 .863OPS 129OPS+ to .264/.304/.473 .777OPS 102OPS+ ) while Baez is better defensively (-4 RDRS for Seager to 52 RDRS for Baez).
So is winning a WS…
Story’s like “yeahhh nah I’m outta here ASAP”
Newsflash!!!! No news.
Nor will they. Story is not going to sign an extension when he can play musical chairs with the other big name Shortstops next winter. Rockies fans should appreciate Todd Helton that much more for being “Mr. Rockie” and staying in Denver his whole career instead of chasing bigger money elsewhere
How can you be upset a player doesn’t want to stay when he just witnessed his infielder partner attempt to stay, and get lied to publicly? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice?
Lurking56 mins ago
How can you be upset a player doesn’t want to stay when he just witnessed his infielder partner attempt to stay,
========================================================
His partner just cost the Rox $51M.
How did he get lied to? They did spend money…they just spent it poorly.
Not upset. Actually the opposite. The reality is there is no incentive for Story to sign an extension with the Rockies when the Mets, Dodgers, Angels, Cubs, Giants, Twins, Astros, Orioles (if they decide they are ready to spend), and maybe others will be in the market for SS’s next winter
Helton also averaged 2.0 bWAR for the final 9 years of that contract. I like to keep a few players long-term, but there is no way I’d appreciate him staying there that long, at that price.
I am bitter that baseball players are mercenaries as well. However, this is the system the Union has built. When the owners attempt to non-chalantly lower salaries, some owner caves, the Union cries foul, and ticket prices go up.
Rockies should trade him amid just public admit then need a rebuild. That starts with drafting pitchers earlier and several of them each year. Low conversion rate on arms making it to the MLB so that is why the teams that develop pitching draft arms early and often each year.
always always always always ALWAYS take the best player available in the draft.
Baseball draft is a bit different that other sports because of the slot money, but yeah the rule is take the best player for the cheapest money.
Mets pick up Story and play him at third.
Dreaming, but would be amazing
Forgive but the (not) wordsmith that I am let me correct – it would be ‘amazin’!
Not so much a dream. Now the Mets have bookoo bucks.
Really, of all the franchises we all pick on (me more than most), the Rockies gotta take the cake. Give it up, for heaven’s sake; move Story, the 2 decent pitchers they have, play some kids and let them enjoy the beautiful air.
Ya, it’s gonna hurt….the fans deserve better. But they’ve made SO many bad moves over the years…..
A franchise that needs an enema. Dunno if it’s ownership, baseball operations, or Mitt Romney…but they gotta do somethin’.
(I can pick on Mitt; I voted for him for governor back when).
Mitt doesn’t live in Colorado and isn’t nearly rich enough to buy a baseball team.
Duh….too many Dewars this evening….
“The Rockies don’t expect to trade Story, but they also haven’t discussed a long-term deal with him.” Way to neatly summarize the Rockies terrible FO in a single sentence, haha. They seem to be incapable of picking a direction and sticking to it. Are you rebuilding or contending? The answer should clearly be the former, but honestly I’d respect them more if they at least went in on the latter with extensions for homegrown studs like Story. Half-measures just ensure mediocrity, and that’s not going to cut it in a division with the Dodgers, Padres and Giants (I know they aren’t in that category right now, but they’re a sleeping giant and will awaken next offseason in a big way, in my opinion. Heck, they’re probably early frontrunners for Story!).
The Rockies have managed to paint themselves into a corner with Story much the same way the Reds did in Zach Cozart’s walk year. They don’t plan to extend him or trade him (at least not until July), so if they keep him for the entire season, then they’re just left with a draft pick when Story declines the QO. I wouldn’t put it past the FO to do what the Reds did and just let him walk and have nothing to show for it. Granted Cozart did turn into a pumpkin immediately thereafter, and Story probably won’t, but COL would be wise to try to get a return better than a draft pick if they know for a fact he’s not gonna be extended.
The Rockies are not only the worst run franchise in MLB -BY FAR- but possibly in all of professional sports. Maybe if the whole FO wasn’t blazed up all day, everyday, someone would come to their senses & stop suggesting things like Rocky Mountain High businessman day specials & Bring your bong to the ballpark & stone the Rockies & let’s trade Arenado for NOTHING. Not to mention their hip & far out fans, “Duuuude, chill we got this” & of course last but not least the biggest clown of them all, little dicky monfort, whose only purpose in life appears to be is to con more people out of their hard earned dough than P.T Barnum ever did, meanwhile Manfraud watches & tells him, “let’s make sure you keep those checks rolling in dicky if you know what’s good for you.” Hey, how bout this, instead of the umpire announcing “Play ball!” b4 home games we change it to, “Party on Garth!” Brilliant!!
Have a bran muffin. Sounds like you need one.
Have another cup of kool aid.
The Mariners say hi.
How is he conning anyone out of money? Going to a pro sporting event is a choice? He doesn’t hold a gun to the fans head and say go to coors field does he?
They should sign Story to a mega-extension and trade him a year or so later while giving a ton of cash just to move him. That strategy seems to work out so well for them.
Technically we haven’t seen it play out yet. There’s still a chance…
Story seems like a good bet to be Detroit’s opening day SS in 2022… the Tigers are entering what should be the final season of their rebuild and I imagine they are going to sign a big FA, possibly two, next winter. After unloading Arenado, it seems highly unlikely COL even tries to extend Story. Currently, there is no obvious long-term SS solution in Detroit.
*2023. Likely no baseball in 2022.
He’ll be traded to St. Louis for a picnic basket and a package of gummy bears.
Wait, which way are the gummies going because they might be federally regulated?
He will be with the Rangers next year
Left Correa out of next year’s SS class too.
Bill James needed a cigarette and a nap after reading that stat-packed paragraph….
They’re letting him walk.
Which I can’t understand for the life of me. Even if they don’t get the return they want, the fans are already upset, just finish the breakdown and get some talent in return. Why just lose out completely? It is perplexing for sure. I think DOD did a much better job with the Rox – they should bring him back.
Agreed. The only problem is many contenders/would-be contenders are set at SS. Yankees, Mets, Padres, Dodgers, White Sox, Astros, Twins, Blue Jays – none of them need an upgrade there. Cubs don’t have the prospect capital and want to cut costs anyway. Story is no doubt better than Adames, but his salary would be a factor for the Rays. Story is an upgrade for some of those teams, but not a massive one. How many teams who are looking to contend actually need a significant upgrade at SS and have the money to spend? Cards maybe, but DeJong is only a year removed from a 5.3 bWAR season and is on his rookie deal still. Braves have Swanson, who they’re betting has come into his own after a 2.9 bWAR season last year. Not a lot of teams looking for an upgrade at SS right now.
Pirates are overrated
They sure arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.
Rock-tober was a long time ago. I can’t picture a time when the Rockies will have a stable of pitchers that can keep up with the National League, let alone just the NL West, when you also have to factor pitching in Colorado.
Will Story take the big money and stay or move on to a team with a better future? And what team that needs a shortstop can afford him? If we assume Seager goes back to the Dodgers and Lindor stays with the Mets.
The Angels need a SS and can afford him with Pujol’s $31M coming off the books.
Pujols getting an extension – 12 years $325M Bob Nightengale coming forward with the story and…….. John Heyman will confirm.
I’d like to see the MLB expand by a couple of teams to even up leagues and whatnot. However there are too many trash organizations already and it seems MLB organizations have incentives to be trashy. Money. So until this is fixed (hopefully addressed in next CBA, at least started) all good players should steer clear of the perennial bottom feeders as they are all just a blackhole for talent sucking the life out of the sport.
If the Rockies extend him it should be like a 4 year 125 mill not a lot of fancy years
He’s just another Colorado Stats freak. .304 at home .250 on the road. OPS is 230 points higher at home than the road. No way you pay that kind of money for a .250 hitter.
Everyone hits worse on the road – and that’s without discussing the Coors effect and how much harder it is for their hitters to adjust quickly.
You put simien and Simmons in there but forget Correa? Wow.
Story is at 17.5 million at 28. Tatis will average 24 million until he is 35. The Rockies should have signed Story a few years ago.
The Rockies tend to trade their players signed to large contracts anyway.
Story’s road numbers should be a concern. He has to step up his offense away from Coors.
I read an article not too long ago that showed that, while home OPS definitely went down when a player left the Rockies, their road OPS went up. In Denver, the ball doesn’t move as much, so hitters can pick it up; if they practice and have half of their games there, they get used to little movement. When they go somewhere else, they practice and play most of their games with normal movement on pitches and get used to that. Their overall numbers do go down a little overall, but they don’t often regress to the point of their road splits from their time with the Rockies.
Almost everyone’s home vs. road numbers are different so why make that a big deal…besides we’re talking about a guy who plays one of the most demanding positions on the diamond and has multiple Gold Gloves and is valued as much or more for his defense and all that he does without the bat as much as his bat…..sounds like the same criticism that DJL got when he came over to the Yankees and you can see what kind of player you get on both sides.
The guys a stud and Colorado is crazy for not paying this guy and building around him but thats baseball today!
That’s nice Rocky, until he loses a step. But go ahead, pay him over $150-mil over 6 or 7 years to provide .790 OPS or less with fading foot speed. Have at it.
Letting Story go, either in trade or for a QO compensatory pick would be smart for the Rockies, but as badly as they handled Arenado, it’s easier to believe they’ll do the exact opposite. It’s like there’s some competition between the Monfort brothers and Peter Angelos as to who is the worst owner in baseball.
Why would Story sign an extension with the Rockies? They’re going nowhere, their owner’s delusional, and they’ve shown they have zero loyalty. The only way they get Story to agree to an extension is a massive overpay…which is foolish. He’ll be a Rockie till mid-season, then get dealt for a semi-decent haul, but nothing stunning.
Who in thier right mind would ever sign a long term deal with the Colorado Rockies organization?
RUN, RUN AS FAR AWAY AS YOU CAN
i did not have pancakes for breakfast, …, who cares?
I think Story would fit well in Milwaukee. Right next to a gold glove second baseman, and a perfect compliment hitting behind Yelich. Ages match up well to. I know most of you would think that Milwaukee’s farm doesn’t have much to offer, but they do have a young shortstop in the top 100 and another even younger that the organization is very high on. Also a young left hander that throws in the upper 90’s. Also some other kids Colorado might be interested in. I just see a potential fit since Milwaukee was looking and willing to spend some money on Turner and now even maybe Bradley. That defense up the middle would probably be the best in all of baseball with Cain in center.
This article is a perfect example of the problems with the Rockies. There’s nothing wrong with the content, it’s that this is the most recent post in over a week. With spring training in full swing now, there should be more regular updates, but when the Rockies are doing nothing, what’s to update.