What’s The Colorado Rockies’ Plan With Cristhian Adames?

Jun 28, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop T. Tulowitzki (2) makes a play to first to end the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Option two: If/when a Troy Tulowitzki trade materializes this month (?!), give Cristhian Adames the starting shortstop job in Denver. 

Please understand — they wouldn’t trade Tulo because of Adames, but if Tulo were traded in the next month because of all the reasons to do/not to do it, Adames could be the shortstop stop-gap (say that five times fast) between Tulo’s departure and Story’s ascension.

If the Rockies really are higher on Story than Adames as they seem to be, trading Tulo and letting Adames play shortstop for the next year (or so) would let Story develop in Albuquerque, take the pressure off him in the big leagues once he gets to Denver, and allow the Rockies to get younger if trading Tulo is their move.

Advantages: If Story is the shortstop of the future as we’ve been told, Adames represents the man to take all the “Tulo’s replacement” talk off Story. Put the pressure on Adames (who will probably do well enough, as is), and then let Story slide into the shortstop role next season. Or, hey, if Adames kills it at shortstop in the interim, we’ve got a position battle!

Disadvantages: Tulo is still one of the best players in baseball. There’s a not insignificant chance that both Adames and Story could be below-average-to-awful in the big leagues, which would make the Rockies look like fools. But, such is the risk of trading major players in return for prospects and dreams.

Next: Option Three: Get Something For Adames