Are The Yankees Really In Pursuit Of Trevor Story

Yankees Target - Trevor Story Shortstop (denverpost.com)

The Yankees’ shortstop position remains tenuous given the “potential” of developing Gleyber Torres. But why not take the bird in the bush…?

Yankees fans will recall the euphoria when Brian Cashman landed Gleyber Torres from the Chicago Cubs, who were all wrapped up in a “gotta have it now” mode designed to win a World Championship for the first time since dinosaurs roamed the earth.

They needed Aroldis Chapman, and the Yankees had him, so the deal was set. The Cubs front office was saved, of course, when the Cubs brought the title home, largely with the help of an overworked Chapman.

<a rel= — Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees Closer Photo Credit: Todd Kirkland/AP

No matter, the Yankees “stole” the Cub’s number one prospect – and to add further misery to the Cubs, resigned Chapman to a deal in which he’s still the Yankee’s closer as we enter the 2021 season.

Since then, Gleyber Torres has had two moving forward and one setback season with the Yankees. He remains challenged as a defender at shortstop, and the Yankees seem to agree his best position is at second base.

With the versatile but slated to fill the second base position, DJ LeMahieu on board for the next six-years under a $90 million contract, moving Torres is to second base is not automatic unless the Yankees send their third-baseman Gio Urshela elsewhere in a trade.

Yankees: Would You Do It – Or Not?

This is why Jim Bowden of the respected Athletic feels free to suggest the possibility of this trade::

Here’s Bowden’s bold proposed trade:

Yankees acquire: SS Trevor Story, RHP Germán Márquez, RHP Daniel Bard

Rockies acquire: RHP Deivi Garcia, RHP Jonathan Loaisiga, 3B Gio Urshela, and INF Miguel Andujar

That’s four key players heading from the Bronx to the Rocky Mountains in exchange for one of the best shortstops in the game and two veteran arms.

The caveat, please. You, me, or anyone can concoct trades from our armchair with no consequences as to its outcome down the road.

But from the perspective of the Yankees, this one seems to hold more water than usual.

At first mention, Trevor Story (right) is a proven major league product. According to Baseball-Reference, the projected stats for his 2021 season look something like this:

The beauty of this trade, should the Yankees be able to execute it, allow LeMahieu to move over to third, a position he is more than comfortable with – along with the bonus of moving Torres back to second where he is more liable to thrive.

Saying it and doing it are, of course, two different things. And when you consider the weight of the players the Yankees are surrendering to (essentially) receive one player, there has to be a few gasps among Brian Cashman and his staff before consummating a deal of this like.

On the flip side, the Yankees can wait out the 2021 season with the hope that last year was a defensive fluke for Torres, and he’ll be on the rebound and more in an orbit he was projected to be from day one.

That might be true for teams on the outside, like the Angels, Royals, and especially the Rockies (Story’s current team) – where the what the hell attitude is prevalent, but not so much like the Yankees – a team clearly in a no-holds-barred thrust for their first title since 2009.

Yankees: No Matter How You Slice It, Torres Time Is Now Or Never

Regardless, though, of the outcome of this latest rumor, however well-founded by MLB, the Yankees can only gaze at the wealth of talent at shortstop available to them when the 2022 free agents hit the market.

And somewhere along the line, there has to be a decision made as to whether or not it is now – or is capable of joining the elite members of this year’s Class of 2022 major league shortstops.

Trevor Story and other members of this class are there now. Should the Yankees wait or attempt to pounce now?

Reader Thoughts And Comments To This Article

Jose Papi Lugo

Good article as I agree to prioritize Conforto. Lindor with his demands is leaving many with a bad taste. Though Lindor is talented he just got to chill and let his continued success continue and $$$ will come regardless from whichever team. Would be nice if he can stay with the Mets but time will tell.

Doreen Pace

Admin

I do not believe it. I do not see it happening, not going to take on another player that is going to demand a huge contract after the 2022 season. Hal is not going to spend that kind of money. Do not see them giving up Garcia and Loaisiga or Urshela for that matter.

Carl Bauer

NO NO NO NO NO

Lindor will be the face of the organization – if we extend him. Otherwise, he will be treated as a one-year rental. Doesn’t anyone remember Piazza? How we treated him before he signed? Because he didn’t know if he would be with us long term?

We cheered for him, but we didn’t give him our hearts until he signed and we knew he wanted to be with us. When you have a future Hall of Famer on the roster, you don’t lose him. I think Uncle Steve is smart enough to realize this.

David Trock

Conforto isn’t a priority and neither is Lindor. Let them earn their contracts. If Lindor has another .258 season, what will you pay him? If Conforto hurts his shoulder again what will he be worth? Sure they’re talented and valuable but let them play another season before rewarding them.

Paul Briamonte

I do not do this deal. We improve our defense at SS but we weaken it at 3B and 2B. We lose our best pitching prospect in Garcia and another good one in Loisiga. We have seen how difficult it is to obtain pitching outside of the organization unless we spend record amounts of money. Hal is not going to sign a Gerrit Cole for $45M every year. Garcia and Loisiga are low-cost players and we’re up against a salary cap that Hal is loathed to go over. Making a trade like this requires that we commit big money toward improving the starting rotation which the current ownership doesn’t want to spend.