The Colorado Rockies have created a Trevor Story problem

The Colorado Rockies have to figure out what to do with their All-Star shortstop, Trevor Story, before time runs out. But has the clock already struck midnight on their relationship?

There are three paths the Rockies can choose to take when it comes to Story, who has blossomed into one of Major League Baseball’s elite shortstops since making a historic debut back in 2016, launching a pair of home runs off Zack Greinke to announce to the world he had arrived. Before Story’s contract expires at the end of next season, the Rockies can look to extend that contract, trade him, or make the decision to simply let him test the waters and see what other suitors there might be (spoiler alert, there will be plenty).

Which path will the Rockies take? We don’t know. No one knows. In fact, no one seems to have an inkling of which way the franchise is leaning. And that’s part of what made Rockies fans so upset on Monday when this tweet from ESPN’s Buster Olney was launched into the Twitterverse.

The broad industry perspective is that the Rockies should push to figure out a Trevor Story strategy -- either try to sign him to a long-term deal, or trade him, before he becomes a FA in the fall. As of now, it appears the Rockies are not on either track.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 25, 2021

Monday had Rockies fans asking a damning question: Does the franchise really know what it’s doing with its superstars? According to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, there has been no movement toward a long-term deal with Story … so the waiting game continues as the clock ticks toward the end of his contract.

As I have written before, Rockies fans are teetering on a dangerous cliff when it comes to their favorite team because of a lack of information coming from the front office and ownership. Yes, there have been responses from team owner Dick Monfort leaked out there, but there’s been nothing official coming from management on the team’s intentions for 2021 with Story or Nolan Arenado … or the general direction for this franchise. Is this a rebuild or is one coming midway through the year?

Fans are invested in a team (any team, not just the Rockies) because they feel a connection. Rockies fans are losing that connection quickly thanks to silence and countless projections (including this one) of a team destined for a poor showing in 2021 … while its greatest-ever left side of the infield is still on its roster (at least at the time of this writing). This is a problem.