MLB Rumors: Trevor Story Could Be Limiting His Free Agent Suitors

There are a lot of factors that teams take into account when deciding whether to spend over $100M on a free agent; One of those, most notably, is where does he fit on your team? Players like Marcus Semien—shortstop by trade—have agreed to move off their preferred spot in order to fit with a team's needs. Apparently, shortstop Trevor Story is not one of those. 

Story has played short for all six of his years in the big leagues with the Colorado Rockies. But according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, “from everything I’ve been told, Story doesn’t want to switch positions." 

Saunders does leave open the possibility that "that could change", but the fact is that having that message out there could dampen some teams' interest. Some of the teams that have been mentioned as possible suitors for Story already have a shortstop. Take the Seattle Mariners, who've shown considerable interest in Story, as Exhibit A. 

Mariners' GM Jerry DiPoto has assured JP Crawford, his incumbent SS, that he is locked in at the position. “One of the first conversations I had this offseason was with J.P,” Dipoto told the Seattle Times. “I told him, ‘Hey, you are our shortstop. You will see that we are courting other shortstops, but it is with the understanding that the inquiry is made with the intent that that player is willing to move to another position.'”

The Yankees, as well, have interest in Story, but also have two of the top shortstop prospects in the game, Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe, ready to move into the position over the next year or two, so Story's unwillingness to move off short could be a problem. 

NYY GM Brian Cashman told SNY before the lockout that he was "not deterred by the presence of Volpe and Peraza in the system, because the team could simply sign one of the big names to play short and later shift them to another position, if necessary. Players are expected to be versatile enough in the current game that their position while developing should not block big league acquisitions."

Could be some interesting negotiations for Story once business resumes. 

Photo Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports, Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports