Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis pursuing Rockies’ Trevor Story

The St. Louis Cardinals are in talks to try and acquire Rockie star Trevor Story before Friday’s deadline passes. 

The St. Louis Cardinals have made it clear that they are going to be selective buyers at the deadline and will not part with any of their elite prospects in any sort of deal, not for a rental or even a controllable player. But they are becoming more active on the trade market in the final hours before the July 30 deadline and are pursuing one of the top names on the market — Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com.

OK, first of all. Wow. The Cardinals have not been connected to Story once this season and it was generally thought that they would not pursue a player of his caliber, especially since he will be a free agent at the end of the season. But it does make sense considering that their current starting shortstop, Paul Dejong, is hitting .206/.298/.399 in 243 at-bats this season, though he has hit 14 homers and 33 RBI.

But the odds of a trade sending Story to the Cardinals are slim to none. After all, there is not even a guarantee that he is dealt in the first place. With plenty of suitors, including the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays and others involved, even if Story is dealt, the Cardinals will not be the leading option.

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But it makes sense for the Cardinals to check in on Story. First, he is an All-Star caliber player at a premium position. Two, it shouldn’t take *that* big of a prospect haul to lure him out of Colorado — executives believe it will have to top the value of a high-round compensatory pick — and the Cardinals should check to see just exactly what the Rockies are seeking.

In the end, if Story is traded, the odds are strongly in favor that he’s headed somewhere other than St. Louis. But any team that acquires him would have first dibs at potentially extending him after this season, which surely appeals to the Cardinals’ front office considering Dejong’s struggles, and that likely is a motivating factor behind their last-second interest.