Trevor Story is making an increasingly strong case to fill the Colorado Rockies' Opening Day shortstop vacancy.
Story, a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, hit his team-leading fourth home run of the spring Monday against the Mariners and is batting .350 with a .458 OBP. "He's in a really good place," manager Walt Weiss told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.
The 23-year-old is competing with the versatile Cristhian Adames, who is hitting .273 in Cactus League play.
The Rockies will begin the season without Jose Reyes, who is suspended without pay pending the resolution of his alleged actions in a domestic-violence incident. That leaves the job vacant for Opening Day, and possibly well beyond that.
"The Rockies aren't wed to Reyes in any way other than the fact that they owe him money. Reyes is 32 years old, his best days are almost certainly behind him, and he faces the possibility of a very long suspension,” writes ESPN’s Buster Olney. “Reyes is owed $22 million for this year -- minus any salary lost for a suspension -- and $22 million next year, with a $4 million buyout for 2018. He was included in the Troy Tulowitzki deal mostly to offset some of the salary obligation exchanged in the contract."
Added Olney: "It'll be really interesting to see how the Rockies handle Reyes upon his return if Story performs well -- and even if Story doesn't play well."