Colorado Rockies: How the Houston Astros, Carlos Correa negotiations will impact Trevor Story

Barring some miracle for Colorado Rockies fans, the Rockies are unlikely to re-sign shortstop Trevor Story this offseason.

Story all but said goodbye after his final game at Coors Field when he came out on the field after the game to the fans and have an emotional press conference shortly thereafter.

Story has also said that he wants to play for a winning team and that he will consult some of his closest friends in the game, like former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, in his free agency decision.

But Trevor Story is far from the only shortstop on the free agent market this offseason.

Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa will have a big impact on Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story and his potential suitors

One of, if not, the best shortstops on the market this offseason is Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa. Correa is two years younger than Story but he has had a phenomenal year for the Astros, who will face the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS starting this weekend.

Astros owner Jim Crane recently said that he thinks the Astros have “a chance” to retain Correa and that they will “definitely be in the mix” for him but Correa recently threw cold water on that idea when he spoke with Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago.

“It was like, ’Take it or leave it; this is what we’ve got.’  And now my value has gone up,” said Correa. “If they didn’t want to meet my price in spring training, now that I led the league in [Baseball-Reference] WAR at 7.2 and I’m in the playoffs helping the team, I don’t know if they’ll meet my price now.”

Correa told the media (including Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle) that the Astros offered him five years and $125 million after offering a deal for six years and $120 million. Correa told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that the offers “didn’t get close at all.”

One place that Correa could conceivably go to is Detroit. His former manager, A.J. Hinch, is the manager of the Tigers and the Tigers are in desperate need of a shortstop. Trevor Story has also been linked to the Tigers.

But if the Tigers sign Correa, the Astros could be high up on the list for Trevor Story.

First and foremost, the Astros are perennial contenders.

Secondly, despite them seemingly low-balling Correa, they have spent a lot of money. The Astros did have the third-highest payroll among 40-man roster players entering 2021, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. So, conceivably, the Astros would be willing to pay for Story, who likely will make less than Correa since he’s older and didn’t play as well for the Colorado Rockies in 2021.

Thirdly, Story would be much closer to home. Story is from Irving, Texas, which is a suburb of Dallas. He wouldn’t be in the Dallas area but Houston is not terribly far away (it’s about four hours, or 250 miles away). But the Astros do play the Rangers in the Dallas area (Arlington) for three series a year.

It would be a tough pill to swallow for Colorado Rockies fans since the Houston Astros are widely hated by baseball fans for their cheating scandal but if Carlos Correa doesn’t return to Houston, the Astros may decide to turn to Story instead for 2022 and beyond.