Philadelphia Phillies: Top 4 remaining free agent shortstops ranked
By Tim Boyle
2) Philadelphia Phillies shortstop candidate: Trevor Story
Out of everyone on this list, I think Trevor Story is the best fit for the Phillies. The lifetime Colorado Rockies shortstop leaves Denver with a career .272/.340/.523 batting line and 158 home runs. He can run, too. In the last three full seasons, he stole 20+ bases. In 2020, he led the league with 15.
It’s a little bit of a surprise that Story went unsigned while Seager and Baez got deals. He might just have confidence in himself that his market won’t be hurt by whatever the new CBA includes. Teams need shortstops. One with the ability to hit 30+ home runs will have suitors even if he is coming off of a down year.
Story’s 2021 campaign included a .251/.329/.471 slash line and 24 home runs paired with 75 RBI. He was on a bad Rockies team with plenty of distractions. Expecting him to rebound and post numbers closer to his All-Star seasons of 2018 and 2019 is fair.
Story’s market could dry up fast depending on how many teams still need a shortstop at a given point. Last year, we saw J.T. Realmuto kind of fall into the Phillies’ laps when it became abundantly clear that no other team was really in the market for such a high-profile backstop.
The case is a little different but once the New York Yankees make their move at the position, the Phillies might be one of the better destinations ready to win now to sign a guy.
And in case you’re worried about the Coors Field effect making him look weaker, breathe a sigh of relief and remember how friendly Citizen’s Bank Ballpark can be for hitters.