The upcoming MLB free agent class is loaded with talent at the shortstop position.
Several clubs will be losing key players at that position, and those same teams will be looking for replacements.
The Colorado Rockies are one of those teams, and Trevor Story is one of those players.
Story has spent his entire six-year MLB career with the Rockies, and he has been impressive at nearly every turn.
Story finished fourth in the 2016 Rookie of the Year race after blasting 27 home runs in just 97 games.
He regressed slightly the following year, but has bounced back with two All-Star selections and three top-12 MVP finishes since 2018.
Over that span, Story is batting .288 with an OPS of .890 over 411 games.
He has always been a plus defender, and has a very solid 9.0 career defensive WAR.
Given all of that, Story will likely be a desirable option at shortstop for a handful of teams this offseason.
Even with Lindor committed as a Met for life, it should be a wild free agent market led by the 4 other superstar shortstops. Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez did not agree to extensions, and there’s a pretty fair chance all become free agents.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 1, 2021
Where could Story land?
3. San Francisco Giants
Brandon Crawford is in the final season of a six-year deal with the San Francisco Giants.
Crawford has spent his entire 11-year MLB career with the Giants and is a two-time World Series champion.
He is also a two-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glover, and a one-time Silver Slugger.
Despite the accolades, Crawford is arguably one of the more overrated players in the game today.
Excluding the current season, Crawford has finished with a below-average OPS+ in five out of his 10 campaigns.
On top of that, Crawford is aging.
Story could provide a long-term solution at shortstop if he’s given the opportunity in San Francisco.
2. Houston Astros
The Carlos Correa era could soon come to an end in Houston.
Correa has spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Astros, and they have been rocky, to say the least.
Mixed in with a sign-stealing scandal, Correa has managed a few really solid seasons and a World Series title.
The 26-year-old is a career .277 hitter with an .837 OPS.
He has four 20+ home run seasons to his credit.
Correa figures to seek a big deal in free agency, and it’s tough to say if the Astros will be willing to meet his demands.
If he does leave, Story could slide in as a nice replacement.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have a major void to fill at shortstop next season, and they have the money to bring in a guy like Story.
The Dodgers’ current shortstop, Corey Seager, has accomplished a lot with the team.
Seager won the 2016 Rookie of the Year Award, is a two-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, a former NLCS and World Series MVP, and most importantly, won the 2020 World Series title with the team.
COREY. SEAGER. GOES. YARD.
His EIGHT home runs this postseason ties a MLB postseason record.
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/IkXC0973Fw
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 25, 2020
Seager is a career .293 hitter with an .857 OPS.
He’s managed an above-average OPS+ in every season of his career.
He is also a plus defender at the shortstop position.
The Dodgers would presumably love to bring Seager back, but if the two part ways, Story seems like a perfect fit for L.A.
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