Opinion: Trevor Story Could Be Ideal Target at Trade Deadline

We’re just under one week away from the July 30 trade deadline, and yet, there haven’t been many notable trades up to this point, meaning these next few days could prove to be fairly eventful across the entire majors.

Despite sitting at the top of the National League East Division, the New York Mets could benefit from making some upgrades to multiple areas on their roster, including the starting rotation, the bullpen and the club’s position player group.

Since the pitching staff has been depleted by injuries as of late and currently features just four starting pitchers, it seems the front office is heavily focused on acquiring another arm to help fill add some additional depth. But given this team’s inconsistent offense, it’ll also be equally important to add another reliable hitter to this lineup before the end of the month.

While the Mets have reportedly shown interest in players like Kris Bryant, Adam Frazier, Whit Merrifield and Joey Gallo, it might make more sense for them to target a power-hitting middle infielder who’s capable of playing both shortstop and third base. Considering all-star Francisco Lindor is currently sidelined with an oblique injury, searching through the shortstop market could be a worthwhile decision.

Granted, there isn’t a long list of talented middle infielders available on the trade market, however, Trevor Story is someone who’s expected to be dealt before the deadline passes and there’s no question he could fill the void on the left side of New York’s infield.

As currently constructed, this club’s lineup features too many left-handers and is slightly unbalanced, but adding a right-handed batter to the mix would almost certainly allow them to correct this issue. Along with balancing out the roster, acquiring Story could also help this offense start producing much more consistently through the remainder of the season, as he’s been one of the top offensive shortstops in the majors since 2018.

Serving as an elite offensive weapon for the Colorado Rockies, the 28-year-old has created the highest ISO (.247), the second-most home runs (94), the second-highest SLG (.531), the fourth-most RBIs (264), the fourth-highest OBP (.348), the fifth-highest BABIP (.341), is tied for the fifth-highest fWAR rating (15.1) and is tied for the seventh-highest wRC+ score (116) among all qualified shortstops since the 2018 campaign, according to FanGraphs.com.

Even though Story’s results have taken a minor hit this season, where he’s posted a career-worst .180 ISO, .290 BABIP and a slashing line of .243/.316/.423 over 345 plate appearances, some of his struggles can be credited to the elbow inflammation he experienced earlier this summer.

In addition to the injury that forced him to miss two weeks, the two-time Silver Slugger Award winner also hasn’t been in the most favorable position all season long, as he’s on a rebuilding team that recently traded away his former teammate, Nolan Arenado. Adding in the fact that he’s already told the front office he has zero interest in re-signing with them this off-season, the right-hander could definitely benefit from a change of scenery.

Even if some of Story’s offensive production didn’t carry over to Citi Field, which is a possibility, the 6′ 2″ infielder could still serve as an impact player with his elite defense. While the Mets might be able to survive by platooning infielders Luis Guillorme and Jonathan Villar until Lindor returns, the coaching staff probably wouldn’t need to worry about the left side of the diamond nearly as much if management acquired one of the top defensive shortstops in the majors.

Since the 2019 campaign, the two-time All-Star has transformed himself into a reliable defender on the infield, generating the highest UZR (17.5) and defensive WAR rating (30.0), the second-most DRS (30), the third-highest RngR (7.0), the fourth-highest ErrR (8.6) and the fifth-highest UZR/150 (7.3) among all qualified shortstops, according to FanGraphs.com.

Additionally, the former first-round pick has also recorded the seventh-highest OAA (19) during that same span, according to BaseballSavant.com.

If Lindor remained unavailable for the next month or so, Story could fill in as his injury replacement and would likely provide very similar defensive results in that role. Once the superstar shortstop is ready to return from the injured list, the 2021 Home Run Derby participant could potentially move over to third base, a position where the Mets are tied for the sixth-worst OAA (-4) this season.

While Story hasn’t played a single inning at the hot corner since 2015, which was his final season at triple-A Albuquerque, he compiled 625 1/3 career innings at that spot in the minors and his strong arm would likely allow him to perform effectively at this new job.

As for what type of package the Mets would need to surrender in exchange for the Irving HS standout, hypothetically, they could send prospects Mark Vientos, Junior Santos and Carlos Cortes to the Rockies.

This way, Colorado receives one top-10 prospect, who could prove to be their third baseman of the future, and a pair of top-20 prospects from New York’s minor-league system in return for at least half a season of Story. It may seem like an expensive price tag, but this move would allow the front office to land an all-star player without sacrificing any of their top-five prospects.

Considering the right-handed slugger is slated to become a free agent after this season, sending three young players the other way for a potential rental would undoubtedly be risky, however, it’d be completely worth it if this team enjoys a deep playoff run. Taking this even further, it’s also possible the Texas native’s tenure in Queens could extend beyond 2021 if he were to sign an extension over the winter.

Would it be wise for the Mets to spend around $500 million on just the left side of their infield? Perhaps not, but doing so could allow them to feature one of the most potent offenses in the majors and one of the top defensive units as well.

The time for loading up on talent is now and if this club hopes to make a competitive push over these final two months of the regular season, it’d be wise for them to consider adding Story to their lineup if the price is right, of course.