Four reasons why the New York Yankees and former Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story are a perfect fit

2) Trevor Story’s power numbers would skyrocket with the New York Yankees

As our colleague Adam Weinrib over at Yanks Go Yard noted in this article, Trevor Story could see his power numbers skyrocket at Yankees Stadium.

Weinrib cited this video from Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated as an example of how Story’s hits in Coors Field that weren’t even close to being homers would be homers in the bandbox that is Yankee Stadium.

Although Story would not be playing 162 games at Yankee Stadium in 2022 (and have his 2021 home run total double), there is no doubt that there are balls that would be long gone for home runs would be a single, double, or even a medium-deep flyball at Coors Field.

Sure, Story’s home/road splits leave the uninformed fan worried but with the Yankees, he would be in a much more hitter-friendly ballpark at Yankee Stadium (insert audible gasp from every MLB fan that doesn’t know much about the Colorado Rockies).

And, to top it off, Story would not be going between altitude and sea level every week for six months and having to make adjustments for it (which is why Rockies hitters have trouble at sea level).

The old Rockies adage of “you just know they are going to hit” is actually more the case at sea level bandboxes like Yankee Stadium and Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

3) The New York Yankees don’t want to spend $350 million on one player and they don’t have to with Trevor Story

The New York Yankees have, reportedly, “fallen out of love” with Trevor Story but, personally, I don’t buy it. I think that the New York Yankees have soured on signing a shortstop (or any player, for that matter) for $350 million, like Carlos Correa. In reality, the Yankees could be saying that they have soured on Story as a play for teams to think “oh, the Yankees aren’t in it” so the Yankees can catch teams off guard when they offer Story a deal for six years for $125-$150 million or so. Or even a shorter-term deal for a higher average annual value, say three years and $85 million.

In that event, Story could earn that and still set himself up well for another three- or four-year deal after the 2024 season, when he will only be 32. After all, he could get even more as the Rangers signed Marcus Semien to a seven-year deal just before the lockout and he’s 31.

The Yankees could go the cheap route and sign Andrelton Simmons and save money for Aaron Judge (he’s a free agent next offseason) but the Yankees need a shortstop and they need a shortstop now.

Yankees fans are already mad that the team hasn’t won a World Series in a dozen years. Part of the reason why that’s the case is that, lately, the Yankees have been, largely, nickel and diming and picking players out of the trash can of other teams (like most of the former Rockies listed before).

But the Yankees reset their luxury tax fee this season as they were under the threshold for the entire season. They can afford to stop nickel and diming to get Story and return to the World Series (and win it) … which leads to the final reason.

4) Trevor Story said he wants to win. The New York Yankees are always in the playoffs.

The New York Yankees have nickel and dimed their way into the playoffs but they have not even reached the World Series since they last won it in 2009 … but they still make the playoffs almost every year.

Since 1995, the Yankees have missed the playoffs in four seasons (2008, 2013-14, and 2016).

Currently, they are far from a perfect team as they need to probably address their starting pitching, add a reliever or two, and address their lineup construction issues, since only Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are the only two players currently on the team who played in 70 or more games with an OPS+ of 100 or better. But Trevor Story would help their lineup issues and their defensive woes at shortstop with Gleyber Torres.

Trevor Story has a list of things he was looking for in a team and chief among them was “winning.” Only a few teams fit that bill of getting to the playoffs consistently in recent years and the Yankees are one of them.

Trevor Story is a perfect fit or a nearly perfect fit for many other teams too (like the Houston Astros) but if the New York Yankees really want to show that they are sick and tired of not getting to (and winning) the World Series, they need to make a splash when the lockout ends. And Trevor Story would be a splash.