Why the Yankees Shouldn't Sign Trevor Story

The New York Yankees shouldn't sign former Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story in free agency this offseason because of Story's right elbow injury history.

There are plenty of reasons why the Yankees should pursue one of the last two remaining big-name shortstops on the free agent market after the lockout is over.

However, Carlos Correa is going to be costly and the Yankees still need to save some money to extend Aaron Judge, which means Trevor Story would be the last impact option left. 

But in the long run, they might be better off adding a stopgap player at the position instead.

Not only because top prospect Oswald Peraza, who finished last season in Triple-A, is getting close to making his big-league debut, but also due to Story’s defensive fit in the long-term, or lack thereof.

According to NJ Advance Media, several scouts around the league believe that Story is better suited to play second base due to his diminished arm strength. Story has dealt with several elbow strains over the last few seasons, which is why a shift to second could help reduce the wear-and-tear on his arm.

But the Yankees were already forced to move Gleyber Torres back to second base last season after he committed a total of 18 errors at shortstop. They also have DJ LeMahieu, who shifted to third base after Torres reverted back to second. Their regular third baseman Gio Urshela slid over to short as a result.

If New York was to pull the trigger on Story to play shortstop in the interim, their hands would eventually be tied once Peraza is ready since Torres or LeMahieu will be occupying second.

While Story has been one of the top two-way players in baseball since entering the league in 2016 and would make an immediate impact for the Yankees with both his bat and glove, he is expected to receive a deal ranging between 5-7 years and just doesn’t fit into the equation as a second baseman if his elbow is truly a concern.

READ: Should the Yankees Sign Trevor Story?

Although Yankees general manager Brian Cashman called shortstop a priority following last season, an upgrade at the position is beginning to look more unrealistic as the weeks go by. Cashman didn’t flinch before the work stoppage when Javier Báez (Tigers: six years, $140 million), Corey Seager (Rangers: 10 years, $325 million) and Marcus Semien (Rangers: seven years, $175 million) were all snatched up by other teams. And while The Seattle Times linked the Yankees to the last two men standing in Correa and Story, it’s hard to envision either player dawning the pinstripes at this point in time.

In the end, the Yankees still need to make several moves to enhance their roster, but shortstop might not be in the cards given Correa’s desire to become the highest paid player at his position and with Story’s history of elbow issues.  

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