Chicago Cubs: Trevor Story loves Wrigley, but that’s no reason to sign him

The Chicago Cubs are a patched together ramshackle ballclub right now and there’s no debating that fact. They carry the third-worst run differential in all of baseball and have stumbled their way through the month of August to the tune of a 5-18 record.

This week, the Cubs took two of three from Trevor Story and the Colorado Rockies. Of course, the Rockies have a historically lopsided home-road split this year, with a 43-22 mark at Coors Field and an absolutely brutal 15-47 mark away from Denver.

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Despite that fact, they opted to hold onto Trevor Story at the trade deadline – which all but guarantees he’ll be tied to draft pick compensation when he hits free agency this offseason (barring any substantive changes in the upcoming CBA negotiations).

While in Chicago this week for the matchup with the Cubs, Story talked free agency and – specifically shared thoughts on coming to the Windy City and playing at Wrigley Field.

“Just when you’re here, there’s something different about it,” Story told NBC Sports Chicago. “It’s a special place … Man, just from afar, it’s such a historic organization, and I can tell you I love playing here. The fans are great. Just coming here over the past six years, it’s a place you look forward to coming, for sure.”

Story will face plenty of competition in this year’s free agent class of shortstops, including Carlos Correa, who recently re-confirmed this will be his last year in Houston, Corey Seager of the reigning World Series champion Dodgers and former Cub and current Met Javier Baez.

There’s no questioning what Story has done in his career to this point. The Colorado shortstop carries a career .272/.340/.522 slash line and has averaged 34 home runs and 98 RBI annually. He’s got a pair of All-Star selections to his credit to go with two Silver Sluggers, too. The guy can hit.

Trevor Story’s home-road splits should give the Chicago Cubs pause

But he also comes with some questions about some arm injuries that have popped up over the years and the ever-present conundrum with every player who starts his career in the Mile High City: some pretty eye-popping splits that will undoubtedly have some teams questioning what they can expect from him without playing half his games at Coors.

• Trevor Story Career Home Slash: .303/.368/.607
• Trevor Story Career Road Slash: .241/.310/.435

Given any of the shortstops I just mentioned are going to have their eyes on deals in the nine-figure range, I have a lot of trouble looking at Story and thinking he’d wind up being worth it long-term. The last thing the Cubs need is another bloated contract they end up having to run the clock out on – and missing out on opportunities to supplement the next championship-caliber roster because of it.

Don’t get me wrong, Story is a darn sight better than almost every guy on this roster and would at least give the Cubs Store a star player’s uniform to hang on the shelves. But given what he’s going to be targeting, his struggles anywhere but Denver and the fact he’s going to be tied to draft pick compensation, Jed Hoyer needs to steer clear of him this winter.