Colorado Rockies: The chances that the Texas Rangers sign Trevor Story just skyrocketed

The Colorado Rockies are highly unlikely to re-sign shortstop Trevor Story. If you have kept up with what has happened in the last year (and, frankly, even longer than that) of events, that should come as no surprise.

It should also be no surprise that a slew of teams are interested in Story. As MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported on Tuesday, there are over a dozen teams looking into shortstops this offseason. There are plenty of them on the market but Story is one of the best available.

One of them that has been talked about a fair amount is the Texas Rangers but the main reason has been that Story would be returning home. Irving, Texas, which is Story’s hometown, is about 10 miles away from Globe Life Field, where the Rangers play in Arlington.

But, seemingly, there was one glaring problem: The Texas Rangers are nowhere near contending. After all, they did go 60-102 in 2021, which was the second-worst record in the NL.

But Trevor Story may leave the Colorado Rockies for the Texas Rangers after all.

Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reported on Tuesday that the Rangers could add $100+ million to their payroll this offseason.

“You couldn’t walk 15 feet at the GM meetings Tuesday without bumping into another baseball official who all but said the Rangers are going to make it rain in free agency,” said Grant.

Rangers GM Chris Young (the former MLB pitcher, not the former MLB outfielder) spoke with the media on Tuesday at the GM Meetings in Carlsbad, California and while he didn’t say that the Rangers will add $100 million to the payroll this offseason, he did say that he expects the Rangers to increase their payroll “to a point where it has been in the past.”

As Grant notes, the Rangers have $47 million on the books as of now for next season. Their average payroll in the five seasons prior to the pandemic was roughly $150 million. The math adds up to around $100 million.

Kennedi Landry of MLB.com also reported that Young said that he doesn’t necessarily expect them to be World Series contenders next season but he would like to be there in 2023.

“I don’t think we expect to just come out and be World Series contenders next season,” said Young. “That said, we expect to take major steps from where we were this year and continue to build this so that by 2023, we’re in a very good position and competing for the division and have the opportunity to make the playoffs and potentially win a World Series.”

Young also offered a player’s perspective on it.

“Now’s the time to buy stock in the Rangers,” said Young. “That’s how I feel. And that’s–as a player–that’s what you want to hear. You see the good things that are happening. And I think to get in early and be part of that makes it even more special.”

While he may not be in contention in 2022, will Trevor Story be willing to deal with that and, in return, he gets to contend in future years and gets to play for his hometown team?

You’d have to believe that he would take that, especially if the Rangers offer anywhere near the six years and $126 million that MLBTR projects that he will get in free agency, especially if he is far from the only addition that the Rangers make this offseason.