Buster Olney believes Houston Astros are ready to pay big dollars to sign All-Star shortstop, but will it be enough to win the AL pennant in 2022?

Currently, Trevor Story is the hot favorite of multiple teams in the free agent market. Among them are the Houston Astros. The Astros are looking for a five- or six-year deal for a great shortstop, and Trevor Story is available. The Houston link would require the least amount of adjustments to get Story aboard. With Carlos Correa out of the picture, the Astros have an open shortstop position Story might fill.

"My prediction: Trevor Story will be a Houston Astro by end of next week." - @ Tyler Milner

The Houston Astros are hesitant to grant any player a contract longer than six years. The Astros opted out of re-signing Carlos Correa, who reportedly wanted a ten-year deal for more than Francisco Lindor ($341 million) received from the New York Mets last offseason. The Minnesota Twins signed Carlos Correa to a three-year, $105.3 million deal with two opt-outs. Trevor Story, who will most likely receive a contract worth less than half of what Correa will earn, was already a fantastic match for the Houston Astros, but now he is much better. Story was expected to sign a six-year, $126 million contract this summer. That would fit nicely into the Houston Astros budget and time frame, and they might still have enough money to make a few other deals this offseason.

Trevor Story celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field

How will Trevor Story be advantageous to Houston Astros?

Story is 29 years old now. Toward the end of this hypothetical contract, he will be 34 or 35, which is typically near the end of most players' prime. In this situation, the Astros won't squander money on a large deal, and they won't be stuck paying a player who isn't productive later in his career.

Story has a career OPS of .863 after six seasons in Colorado. Last season, Story hit .251 (.801 OPS) with 24 home runs and 75 RBIs. He has spent all six of his MLB seasons with the Colorado Rockies and is a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger.

But can Story lead the Astros to win the American League pennant in 2022?

The Houston Astros have led the American League pennant picks for 2022 until recently. The Astros have been one of the few American League clubs favored for several years in a row. However, today, Carlos Correa's signing with the Minnesota Twins signaled a major potential defection. We aren't forecasting the Astros to win the AL pennant because of the loss of Carlos Correa, but there is a significant gap between Houston and its division rivals. For the time being, the focus will undoubtedly be on bringing in Story to fill the infield void and seeing him use his right-handed pop to target the Crawford boxes.

"The Yankees and Astros likely have an edge in Trevor Story pursuit as he’d play SS in either place. Two good choices since they are also winning teams. Yankees are definitely in whereas they really weren’t in on Correa. Prefer Story." - @ Jon Heyman