Saunders: Trevor Story, soon to be a free agent, is the ultimate teammate

PHOENIX — You already cognize the basics.

As a Rockies rookie successful 2016, shortstop Trevor Story became the lone subordinate successful big-league past to deed six location runs successful his team’s archetypal 4 games.

He’s a two-time all-star and was a Silver Slugger victor successful 2018 and ’19. In 2018, helium became the archetypal shortstop to deed astatine slightest 30 location runs and 40 doubles and bargain 25 stolen bases successful a season.

Friday night, successful the Rockies’ wild, 9-7 triumph implicit the Diamondbacks, Story stole his 20th basal of the play and the 100th of his career, becoming the seventh subordinate to deed 150 location runs and bargain 100 bases implicit his archetypal six seasons. The others successful the club: Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Darryl Strawberry, Andruw Jones, Ryan Braun and Mike Trout.

You besides cognize that Story, who turns 29 adjacent month, volition soon go a escaped cause and Sunday’s crippled astatine Chase Field volition astir surely beryllium his past arsenic a subordinate of the Rockies.

You besides cognize that he’s well-liked and respected by his teammates. But you mightiness not cognize conscionable however overmuch his teammates similar and respect him.

“Trevor is simply a pro’s pro,” 3rd baseman Ryan McMahon said. “He shows up each time and handles each of his enactment passim the time successful the astir nonrecreational way. He’s been awesome to play with and he’s helped a batch of america get better. He’s my favourite teammate, to date, that I’ve played with.”

Nolan Arenado, who present has what Story wants — he’s playing for a Cardinals squad headed to the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive twelvemonth — considers Story 1 of his champion friends and cherishes their clip together.

“Trevor is 1 of my favourite teammates of each time,” Arenado said. “The care, the enactment ethic, the strength — helium was idiosyncratic I fed disconnected of. He showed up each day, aforesaid guy, acceptable to work.

“The shortstop is the skipper of the infield and helium controlled the infield truthful well.”

Arenado is blessed successful St. Louis, but helium inactive misses his spouse connected the near broadside of the infield.

“I ever knew erstwhile I showed up astatine outpouring grooming that Story would amusement up astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic me,” Arenado continued. “That was conscionable the champion feeling.”

And close fielder Charlie Blackmon, who astatine 35 is Colorado’s oldest presumption player, marvels astatine the teammate Story has been for the past six seasons.

“Along with his dependable production, Trevor has go a stone successful the clubhouse,” Blackmon said. “He’s helped everyone astir him. I’ve enjoyed watching him enactment and proceed to marque adjustments.  It’s bully for our young players to see. And reminds the older guys that determination is nary substitute for hard enactment and preparation.”

The coming free-agent marketplace features an bonzer people of shortstops, led by the Astros’ Carlos Correa, who’s conscionable 27 and is considered the champion of the bunch. The Mets’ Javier Báez, the Dodgers’ Corey Seager, the Blue Jays’ Marcus Semien and Story besides volition beryllium competing for big-money contracts.

Front-office types volition comb done each statistic and hours of videos. When it comes to Story, the media volition constitute astir his comparatively tame 105 OPS+ this play and his Coors Field-vs.-road splits. And yes, determination are questions astir Story’s inconsistent throws from abbreviated to archetypal base. But I’m told by those who cognize that his limb is 100% healthy.

I don’t cognize wherever Story volition extremity up, though I’d marque the Rangers and Yankees the aboriginal front-runners. But I bash foretell this: determination are a batch much all-star seasons to come.

And I’m definite of this: Story is the benignant of subordinate you privation successful your clubhouse. His teammates told maine so.