With Carlos Correa bombshell, is market more clear for Trevor Story?

We now know the price point it will likely take to land free agent shortstop Carlos Correa in free agency. That bit of news could also perhaps provide a bit of clarity when it comes to fellow shortstop Trevor Story and his possible destinations.

Here’s what we learned about Carlos Correa, and how that could impact Trevor Story this offseason

According to an article written by ESPN Major League Baseball insider Buster Olney (subscription required), Correa turned down a 10-year, $275 million offer from the Detroit Tigers prior to the MLB lockout commencing on December 1. Knowing that contracts for north of $300 million have already been offered to shortstops Corey Seager and Francisco Lindor within the last year, Correa is likely holding out to try to reach the $300 million plateau as well.

Another interesting note in Olney’s article is that Correa has turned down a pair of contract offers from the Houston Astros over the last year. Houston owner and chairman Jim Crane has reportedly said that he isn’t interested in putting together an offer for Correa or any other player longer than six years.

With that in mind, could Correa’s days in Houston truly be over, opening the door for Story to join the Astros and take Correa’s place in the Houston infield?

Houston, on the surface, would match many of the things that Story told us during Colorado’s final series of the 2021 campaign he would be looking for in his next team. Among those boxes to check are a winning team (Houston is coming off a World Series appearance) and geography (Story, a native of the Dallas area, would return to the Lone Star State and play three series per season against Houston’s division rival, the Texas Rangers, in their recently opened ballpark in Arlington, located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex).

MLBTradeRumors has predicted that Story would earn a six-year, $126 million deal this offseason, with Houston listed as a possible destination. Knowing what we now know about Correa’s price demands and Houston’s lack of excitement about creating a longer deal than six years this offseason, the stars could be aligning for Story to land in Houston.