Which Rockies might be dealt at the Trade Deadline?
@NoahSpirek | June 15, 2023
The MLB Trade Deadline is Tuesday, August 1. For Rockies fans, each year the day seems to come and pass anticlimactically. This year, we hope things will be different. The Rockies are 29-40, as of writing this, and are on pace to finish with a 68-94 record in 2023. The team has mercifully begun to let the kids play recently, yet still, the average age of Rockies hitters is 29.3 years old, the fourth oldest in MLB. The Rox pitchers’ average age is 29.8 years old, which is tied for the tenth oldest in all of baseball. The point is, the Rockies have experienced veterans on this team that could, and should, be traded to a contending team willing to take them. In a losing season, the best thing the Rockies can do is discover what type of talent they have in their prospects, and by ridding the roster of aging veterans and taking the playing time from the youngsters, there will be more roster flexibility for rookies to garner valuable Major League experience.
So, who are the trade candidates?
On the Mound
Brent Suter
This offseason, the Rockies made an underrated pickup by signing LHP Brent Suter to 1 year / $3,000,000 contract. The 33-year-old has pitched wonderfully for Colorado, appearing in 28 games and pitching to a 2.06 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Moreover, he is fifth among ALL relievers in MLB in innings pitched with 39.1, and he has given up just one home run (which occurred on the road). Suter would be the perfect trade candidate, as high-quality left-handed relievers are at a premium, and because of his long tenure in the big leagues and continued success at Coors Field with Colorado, there will be many postseason contenders calling the Rockies about his trade availability. The Rockies need to trade Suter because after this season, his contract expires and he becomes a free agent anyway.
Brad Hand
Another very good offseason signing by the Rockies front office, LHP Brad Hand is on a cheap contract and is a good “lefty specialist” with a strong track record, which should make him a hot commodity at the deadline. Hand, who signed a 1 year / $2,000,000 contract with Colorado, has been effective throughout his 28 appearances. On the season, he is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP through 25 innings pitched. He carries a high 11.9 K/9 rate and has yet to give up a homer this season. Hand, 33, has been in the bigs for 13 seasons now, and his high strikeout right coupled with the challenge he poses to left-handed hitters are two aspects of his game that postseason contenders might be looking for in a reliever at the deadline. Additionally, similarly to Brent Suter, Hand will be a free agent this season so instead of potentially letting him walk after a lost season, the Rockies should capitalize off of his trade value.
I thought the Rockies were going to trade Bard last season. I thought when they didn’t, there was no way they would resign him and he would go somewhere else. Yet, the Rockies signed the 38-year-old to a two-year / $19,000,000 contract this offseason. In 2022, Bard pitched 60.1 innings across 57 games and earned an NL MVP vote after boasting a 6-4 record with a 1.79 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP. In 2023, after starting the season on the IL while he dealt with anxiety, Bard has pitched very well in 20 games, throwing 20.2 innings and yielding a 0.87 ERA. While he is a fan favorite, I believe the Rockies should trade Bard to offload an expensive contract, and ideally, trade him to a contender so Bard has the chance to win his second World Series (his first came in 2013 with the Red Sox). Nice piece by Thomas Harding on Bard’s return to Fenway.
At the Plate
Honestly, it’s going to be tough to get any team to take an aging position player off the Rockies hands, outside of Randal Grichuk. Grichuk started the year on the IL but since returning, he has been a very productive bat in the Rockies lineup. In 35 games, Grichuk is slashing .316/.383/.451 with 36% of his 42 hits being extra-base hits, including one home run. He has proven he can play any outfield spot, and there is potential a contender might take a swing on trading for Randal. This is the final year of his 4 year / $52,000,000 contract, so the fact that he is becoming a free agent after the season might make him more enticing to a team looking for a short-term rental to boost their postseason chances.
Other than Randal Grichuk, the other veterans on the Rockies, unfortunately, do not offer much that trade suitors would be interested in. A lot of Rockies fans want Jurickson Profar to be traded, but the once toolsy utility player has struggled in 2023, accumulating a -0.5 WAR and an 85 OPS+, making him a below-replacement-level player. The same could be said for Mike Moustakas, who has struggled in spot opportunities and carries a 91 OPS+ with just three homers in 100 ABs.
A name that I had hoped would be popular around the deadline is CJ Cron. Unfortunately, the 2022 All-Star selection has been on the IL since May 15, and it was recently reported that he still has quite some time before he makes a return to the field.
In Conclusion
Ultimately, this is an article being published on June 15. It is still early. A lot can still change between now and August 1. The Rockies have been playing some exciting ball lately – appreciation note for Nolan Jones – so there is still a ton of time for them to get back in postseason contention. After all, the 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals were 19-31 before turning their season around and winning a title. As it stands now, however, the Rockies are seven games out from the last NL Wild Card spot and looking at an uphill climb, so it is worth considering how the roster could change over the landscape of the season.
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