Reds: 3 trade proposals to bring shortstop Trevor Story to Cincinnati

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

Trevor Story is on the trade block. In fact, that statement could have been made the moment the Colorado Rockies front office dealt former third baseman Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals. With the July 30th trade deadline looming, and shortstop an obvious position of need for the Cincinnati Reds, what would it take to bring Story to the Queen City?

Reds GM Nick Krall has not ruled out being buyers as this year’s trade market heats up. Cincinnati is in second-place in the NL Central and have seven consecutive games in the coming two weeks versus the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. If there was ever an opportunity for the Reds to make up some ground quickly, it’ll be immediately before and immediately after the All-Star break.

With that in mind, it’s time for Bob Castellini and the Cincinnati front office to make a big move. The biggest and best move this franchise could make would be making a deal with Colorado for Story. The 28-year-old is a free agent at season’s end, and Reds Country would do well to consider any deal for the two-time All-Star to be no more than a rental for the remainder of the season.

The Reds have Jose Barrero, formerly Jose Garcia, making his mark in the minor leagues this season, and it seems as though Cincinnati has every intention of inserting the 22-year-old into the starting lineup next season. With that in mind, dealing for Story could work out well, as the Reds would just be adding his services to the roster for the final two-plus months of the 2021 season.

So, what’s it gonna cost? Well, since the Rockies organization was vehemently criticized for their return from St. Louis in the Nolan Arenado deal, you’d have to think that Colorado will not get fleeced again. That said, a good majority of teams who are interested are likely looking at Story as a rental, and would be unwilling to sacrifice a Top 100 prospect.

1. Reds trade a few mid-level prospects for Trevor Story.

The Colorado Rockies are rebuilding, and the front office will be looking to land as many young, talented players as possible in return for Trevor Story. The Cincinnati Reds farm system isn’t ranked in the Top 10, but there are still plenty of talented prospects that would likely pique Colorado’s interest.

The Colorado Rockies have one of the largest outfields in the big leagues, and a centerfielder with elite speed might help move the needle. Michael Siani, Cincinnati’s fourth-round pick in 2018 is a blazing fast prospect who’s defense is already major-league ready. Siani, however, isn’t a great offensive player, and will likely wind up at the bottom of the batting order in the big leagues.

Parting with one of last year’s draft picks, Christian Roa, may be necessary in order to land Trevor Story. Roa, a right-hander out of Texas A&M, is ranked 10th in the Reds farm system by MLB Pipeline, and owns a 2.22 ERA in Rookie Ball this season. Roa has four pitches that he can turn to, including a fastball that touches the mid-to-upper 90s.

Finally, in an effort to get Colorado to fully accept this trade, Cincinnati could also add longtime minor league outfield TJ Friedl. After struggling out of the gate, Friedl has played very well of late while roaming the outfield in Triple-A Louisville. The Reds outfield is already overcrowded and there’s no need to hang onto Friedl at this time.

2. The Reds trade several young prospects for Trevor Story.

The coronavirus pandemic shrunk last years’s draft from 40 rounds to only five. However, the Reds made the most of last year’s MLB Draft and secured several top prospects. Cincinnati also got an additional young player from last year’s draft when they traded Robert Stephenson to Colorado prior to this season. One player the Reds received in return was Case Williams.

Maybe, in order to add All-Star shortstop Trevor Story to the roster, the Reds may have to surrender a couple of last year’s draft picks. The right-handed pair of Bryce Bonnin and Joe Boyle could be a starter. Both profile as relief pitchers, but there’s an outside chance that Bonnin could wind up in the starting rotation. Boyle is erratic but his fastball sits at 100-plus MPH.

Throw in second base prospect Ivan Johnson, and maybe we’re getting closer to a deal. Johnson was a fourth-round pick of the Reds in 2019. The 22-year-old is hitting .255 at Single-A Daytona this season and he may be able to play shortstop as well. Many scouts feel, however, that he’s better suited to play second base. Johnson is a solid, yet unspectacular infield prospect.

Finally, in order to seal the deal, Cincinnati could add hard-hitting outfield prospect Allan Cerda. Cerda is a power-bat who has five home runs in 30 games for the Daytona Tortugas this season. If Cerda taps into that raw power, he could send balls outta the ballpark at a remarkable clip.