As Pete Alonso was mashing his way to a second-straight Home Run Derby title, ESPN’s Buster Olney wondered aloud while on air about the future of another derby contestant in Colorado Rockies shortstop, Trevor Story; who is expected to be at the center of trade rumors before MLB’s July 31 deadline.
The six-year veteran and two-time All-Star has spent his entire career in Colorado, but with his contract up at the end of the season and the Rockies going nowhere, he’s a prime candidate to be swapped out of town. However, the Rockies did not want to engage in talks before the All-Star break to ensure Story has one last benchmark moment with the club at the Home Run Derby.
It was then that Olney suggested that Story could end up “maybe on the Mets, maybe on the Yankees,” or “another contender,” by the end of the month with the derby now out of the way.
Speaking with a source on Tuesday morning, they told amNewYork Metro that such a scenario of Story heading to Queens to play for the Mets is currently seen as “doubtful.”
The natural shortstop would have to play out of position with Francisco Lindor manning that spot for the foreseeable future, though it has been noted that he would be willing to play out of position on a contender. Story would likely be a defensive upgrade at either second or third base — the former manned by Jeff McNeil and the latter belonging to the rehabbing J.D. Davis, who is expected to return after the All-Star break.
However, the potential price to give up for Story alone is expected to be a sizable one, especially when there are other options that either make more sense or are cheaper.
The Mets could tick off two boxes if they were to strike a deal with the Chicago Cubs, who are on the verge of entering a fire sale. Not only could they come away with an All-Star, natural third baseman like Kris Bryant, they could also nab some proven, much-needed pitching depth in the likes of Kyle Hendricks.
Elsewhere, Adam Frazier — an All-Star second baseman this season with the Pittsburgh Pirates — is a trade target that the Mets are also reportedly interested in, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Frazier’s price is expected to be considerably smaller than Story’s, with a package headlined by a prospect with a Future Value around 50 (on a 20-80 scale), while a deal with the Rockies could mean parting with a top young talent like third baseman Brett Baty, pitcher Matt Allan, or shortstop Ronny Mauricio.
Acting general manager Zack Scott has already voiced his hesitation to part with such prospects this summer.
