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

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.