The Rockies’ season went up in flames almost from the beginning but don’t expect a fire sale between now and the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
“We’ll see what happens,” general manager Bill Schmidt said. “Some teams have reached out, mostly on our bullpen guys. I’m not going to name names, but there has been interest there.
“We are going to listen on guys. But people have to remember that teams have to want your players, too.”
According to industry sources, the reliever who has garnered the most interest is left-hander Brent Suter, with the Rockies getting calls on right-hander Pierce Johnson and lefty Brad Hand as well.
There has been middling interest in veteran outfielders Jurickson Profar and Randal Grichuk, as well as first baseman C.J. Cron, Colorado’s lone All-Star last year. All of three are in the final year of their contracts.
Catcher Elias Diaz, the first All-Star catcher in franchise history, could also make the phone ring. But the Rockies are going to need plenty in return for Diaz, in part because he’s making only $5.5 million this season and will make $6 million next season in the final year of his three-year, $14.5 million contract. But contending teams can always use a catcher who can hit for power, so the Rockies will listen.
Still, don’t expect Schmidt to empty the cupboard, leaving the Rockies with only a couple of veterans propping up a lineup of mostly untested players for the final two months of the season.
“You’d like to be respectable, right?” he said. “You’re not going to run out a Triple-A team out there — for the integrity of the game. But if there is interest in our players and we think it’s a good decision for our organization, long-term, then we will make considerations.”
It’s no secret that the Rockies need pitching depth. If they do swing any deals, it will likely be for starting pitching prospects. Colorado made that kind of trade last month, shipping veteran infielder Mike Moustakas to the Angels in exchange for right-hander Connor Van Scoyoc. The 23-year-old Van Scoyoc was pitching for the High-A Tri-City Dust Devils this year.
Ideally, Colorado would like to pull off a trade similar to the one it made with Tampa Bay in January 2016 when it received right-hander German Marquez (a High-A prospect at the time) and lefty reliever Jake McGee in exchange for big-league outfielder Corey Dickerson and infield prospect Kevin Padlo.
“Needless to say, we need to add pitching,” Schmidt said. “We have some position-player prospects coming up, and we feel good about that. And we also like some of the pitching prospects we have coming up, but we’ve had injuries, so you’re always looking to increase your depth.”
Following is a look at Rockies’ potential trade candidates:
• OF/DH Charlie Blackmon. The Rockies icon, who turned 37 on July 1, remains on the injured list with a broken right hand. He hopes to return by the end of the month. The only team that seems to be a possible fit for Blackmon is the powerhouse Braves, but thus far there have been no discussions between the two teams. Plus, Blackmon is making $15.3 million this season in the final year of his six-year, $108 million contract.
Blackmon, by virtue of his veteran status, could veto any trade, but Atlanta is his home.
“If something came up, I would sit down with Charlie and talk to him about that,” Schmidt said. “He’s meant a lot to this franchise. He deserves that kind of respect.”
Schmidt added that even if Blackmon were traded, or became a free agent, the Rockies would consider bringing him back next season if he wants to continue playing.
“For the right price, I would love to him come back here,” Schmidt said. “I think the idea of him playing in one spot for his whole career — there’s something to that. I think it’s special.”
• Diaz: Schmidt will only say that if an opposing team makes a legitimate offer for the catcher, he would listen. But he also said that trades aren’t made as easily as a lot of fans and media think they are.
“When you look back to (right-hander) Jon Gray and (shortstop) Trevor Story in 2021, we didn’t have legitimate offers for those guys,” Schmidt said. “People think we did. That’s what I get frustrated with. Plus, Jon had always told me that he didn’t want to be traded.”
In the end, however, both Gray and Story became free agents and signed elsewhere, with Gray going to Texas and Story to Boston.
Suter, Hand and Johnson: It’s been a rough season for the Rockies but the bullpen has been relatively solid, or at least it had been good until the relievers started buckling under a heavy workload.
Suter, 33, is the most coveted reliever, but he’s currently on the injured list with a strained left oblique. His recovery is going faster than first anticipated and he threw a 20-pitch bullpen on Wednesday in Houston. He has a 2.81 ERA and has become a popular player in the clubhouse in a short amount of time.
Schmidt said Colorado might have an interest in keeping Suter beyond this season.
“I like Suter and I think he’s been very good,” Schmidt said. “I could see him, going forward in the next year or two, giving us veteran experience in our bullpen. We’ll see.”
• Cron, Grichuk and Profar: One National League executive said there is “mild interest in Cron, at best,” because he just came off the injured list after missing 39 games because of back spasms. And also because Cron hit just .197 in the second half last season.
But Cron has looked good at the plate since returning from IL, getting a hit in six of seven games including a homer on Wednesday at Houston. Plus, the Rockies would like to see more of Elehuris Montero at first base and also call up Michael Toglia from Triple-A for another look this season. So a Cron trade is not out of the question.
While Grichuk has not supplied the power the Rockies were hoping for, he’s flashed some lately. He missed the first month recovering from sports hernia surgery, but he’s slashing .289/.353/.443 and has hit three homers in his last 11 games.
A Profar trade seems unlikely, especially since he’s making $7.75 million this season on a one-year deal. The switch-hitting left fielder is slashing just .246/.328/.382 with six home runs and 32 RBIs over 345 plate appearances.
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