Cardinals Rumors: What kind of contract could Trevor Story sign?

What kind of contract could Trevor Story sign? It could end up being in the St. Louis Cardinals’ price range.

The playoffs haven’t even ended and the St. Louis Cardinals are being connected to Trevor Story. He is likely to be one of, if not their top target this winter and would present a major upgrade at shortstop in 2022 and perhaps beyond.

But what kind of contract might he sign?

This is complicated. Story won’t sign a contract anywhere near the $340-341 million deals that Fernando Tatis Jr. and Francisco Lindor signed earlier this year. He may not even sign a contract over $100 million considering that his numbers this season — .251/.329/.471 with 24 home runs and 75 RBI — were well below his career averages.

That’s not to mention that the free-agent shortstop class is historically great, with Carlos Correa, Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Javier Baez also being on the market. In a typical winter, Story would be a top 2 option in free agency. This year, he’ll perhaps be most teams’ No. 5 option, and it could impact his market.

Which is why I believe that his next contract will be one or two seasons for $20-21 million per season. A deal along the lines of Semien’s one-year, $18 million contract last season makes a ton of sense. It would allow Story to re-establish his value and become a free agent when the market is much less loaded, with there being a real chance that he’d cash in during the winter of 2022, especially when there are no concerns over the CBA.

Just look at how well Semien performed this season for the Blue Jays and the type of contract he’ll land this winter. That will surely appeal to Story.

A one or two-year deal worth $20 million annually will appeal to the Cardinals, maintaining financial flexibility in future seasons. It also may convince Arenado to not exercise his opt-out clause after the 2022 season and maximize their chances of competing in the final season of Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright’s careers.

We’ll see if this prediction ultimately comes to fruition, but it’s a near lock the Cardinals will be in on Story.