Trevor Story Trade Proposal: Yankees Send Two Top Prospects to Rockies

We know the Yankees are interested in trading for Trevor Story before this week's Trade Deadline. They've even sent an initial offer to Colorado already, per Jon Heyman. 

But what exactly would it take for New York get him in a deal with the Rockies?

In a recent piece on MLB.com, MLB insider Mark Feinsand proposed the following trade, a hypothetical deal sending Story and a right-hander to the Bronx in exchange for two talented prospects.

Yankees get: SS Trevor Story, RHP Jon Gray

Rockies get: SS Oswald Peraza (Yankees' No. 4 prospect), RHP Albert Abreu (No. 18)

Before diving into the return for both sides, let's quickly discuss why the Yankees would consider making a trade like this in the first place, adding a shortstop when they already have Gleyber Torres.

Torres has made improvements on defense at shortstop—and his offensive production is starting to turn a corner after a slow start to this year—but there are still questions regarding his longevity at the position. One possible solution would be to bring in a guy like Story, move Torres back to second base and slide DJ LeMahieu over to first.

Well, what about Luke Voit? The first baseman is presently serving his third stint of the season on the injured list. As much as the slugger blossomed in last year's shortened campaign, leading the league in home runs, he wasn't healthy during that season either (remember his foot stuff?).

Of course it would be tough to put Voit at designated hitter when Giancarlo Stanton isn't playing the outfield, but that's another conversation all together.

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Feinsand adds the following:

The Yankees are believed to be interested in signing one of the big-name free-agent shortstops this winter, so getting a two-month look at Story in pinstripes could work to their benefit. Oh, and they get a starting pitcher (Gray) in the deal, too!

He's got a point. We're talking about one of the very best shortstops in the league, a player that's capable of hitting 35-plus homers (he's already done it twice in his career) while providing reliable defense and speed on the bases. 

Story is batting .240 (77-for-321) with 12 homers and 46 RBI over 86 games played this season. Those numbers aren't setting the league on fire, but imagine the type of production he could have in New York's lineup, cushioned by the other sluggers in the middle of the Yankees' order.

Mix in Jon Gray and the Yankees would bolster their starting staff with more depth, helping to lessen the load with a seven-year veteran that's having a solid campaign this year (3.67 ERA over 18 starts).

That brings us to what New York would be sending back to Denver. Here's Feinsand on Peraza and Abreu:

For the Rockies, Peraza is a toolsy 21-year-old shortstop who could eventually replace Story in a year or two. The Yankees’ No. 4 prospect (and No. 96 on MLB Pipeline’s overall Top 100 list), Peraza would be expendable if New York plans to ink a free-agent shortstop to a long-term deal, though the club has three other shortstops in its Top 15 prospects. Abreu (the Yankees’ No. 18 prospect) is a hard-throwing righty who may still wind up working as a reliever, but he would give Colorado another young arm in its arsenal.

Peraza is batting .297 across two levels in the minor leagues this year, currently finding his rhythm in Double-A Somerset with a .290/.347/.475 slash line. It would be a blow to the farm system to part ways with the club's highest-ranked shortstop, but the Yankees have a lot of young talent at that position (like Anthony Volpe and Trey Sweeney) and as Feinsand alluded to, his services won't be needed as much if they can reel in an elite shortstop to occupy the position in the big leagues for years to come. 

Abreu has shown flashes of his potential in pinstripes, lighting up the radar gun while posting a 1.88 ERA over seven games with 13 strikeouts in 2021. It's a small sample size, but he's certainly capable of becoming an effective big-league reliever if he can harness his arsenal and stay healthy.

READ: Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends José Ramírez to Yankees in Deal Including Gleyber Torres

It's worth noting that multiple teams are going to be inquiring with the Rockies over the next several days about Story. That could certainly have an impact on the asking price for the slugging shortstop. 

At the end of the day, however, it behooves Colorado to send him to the top bidder now rather than waiting for Story to walk in free agency this winter. There's no guarantee they trade him, but an offer like this will definitely get their attention.

So, would this proposed deal from New York be enough of a return for the Rockies to pull the trigger? Feinsand certainly thinks so. 

Who says no: Nobody. The market for Story is limited and the Yankees need to make some short-term moves to get back into contention. Make it happen!

MORE:

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• From No-Hit Bid to Nightmarish Loss, Yankees Return to Rock Bottom in Boston
• Why the Yankees Should Trade For Max Kepler

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