Cincinnati Reds: Trevor Story should become immediate trade target

After seeing the St. Louis Cardinals fleece the Colorado Rockies for third baseman Nolan Arenado, Cincinnati Reds General Manager Nick Krall should immediately give Jeff Bridich a call and find out the asking price for shortstop Trevor Story.

It’s no secret that the Cincinnati Reds are in the market for a shortstop. Ever since Zack Cozart left in free agency, the team has seen a revolving door at the position. From José Peraza to Freddy Galvis, Cincinnati has struggled to find a longterm solution at shortstop.

The Reds should inquire as to Trevor Story’s availability.

After seeing what the St. Louis Cardinals gave up, or didn’t give up, in the trade for Nolan Arenado, it’s imperative that Cincinnati’s front office at least inquire as to what it would take to pry Trevor Story away from Colorado.

The Cardinals did not even relinquish a Top 5 prospect in return for one of the best third basemen in the game. And while Mark Feinsand of MLB Network is reporting that the Rockies are hopeful to negotiate a contract extension for Story, the question is whether or not he’ll want to remain in the Mile High City.

The Rockies are rebuilding. There’s no easy way around it, and fans throughout the Queen City know what that feels like. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Story would decide to stay in Colorado. After all, money talks, and with Arenado’s contract off the books, the Rockies should have money to spend.

On the other hand, would Story want to follow the example set by Joey Votto earlier in his career, when the six-time All-Star was the best player on a bad team for six years? With what we’ve seen from the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres, the future doesn’t look bright for Colorado. Maybe it’s time to sell.

What would it take for the Reds to land Trevor Story?

It’s not yet known what the Colorado Rockies received in return for Nolan Arenado. In fact, the deal is not yet official, but it’s expected to be finalized by Monday at the latest. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Rockies will be receiving a package of young prospects.

Among them may be Austin Gomber, Jhon Torres, and Luken Baker. Jake Woodford and Angel Rondón may be part of the trade as well. Among those listed, only Torres cracks the Cardinals’ Top 10 according to MLB Pipeline.

While some may think that the return for Arenado was mediocre at best, the fact that the eight-time Gold Glove Award-winner can opt out after the 2021 and 2022 seasons probably brought the price down considerably. The Cincinnati Reds should use the same strategy if they become involved in trade talks for Trevor Story who’s a free agent after the upcoming season.

While Cincinnati is desperate for a shortstop, and a difference-maker at that, there’s no need to sell the farm for a player that potentially could spend just one season wearing a Reds uniform. Perhaps a combination of good young arms (Lyon Richardson and Vladimir Gutierrez), combined with a talented bat (Tyler Callihan) would be enough to entice Colorado to pull the trigger.

Trevor Story comes with an $18.5M salary for the 2021 season, and that may be enough to scare Cincinnati. The Reds have done everything in their power to avoid paying players this offseason. However, if they hope to compete with the St. Louis Cardinals, drastic steps have to be taken in order to be in the conversation.