Even though we’re still a few months away, trade talk might not actually feel too premature. There has been a ton of buzz among Colorado Rockies fans over the past few weeks about potential trade candidates given the vision for the future that the front office is committed to and given strong performances from assets who might not be a part of that long-term vision.
A lot of the chatter has centered around Mickey Moniak, in particular. The former #1 overall pick has found his stride since becoming a Rockie and is having a career year. As a 28-year-old on a team working towards a rebuild, he’s right on the bubble of being a must-sell asset or being a veteran piece to complement a younger squad.
Blake Street Banter put together a wonderful look at Moniak as a trade candidate or as a player to extend, breaking down his production and examining a potential return that could be expected for him. Mickey’s home and road splits may strongly influence what his value would be outside of Coors.
Trending further towards the “must-sell” side of the spectrum are a handful of older players, especially pitchers, who don’t align with the long term future of a club that’s still has a few years to go in the rebuild. There’s always a strong market for relief arms at the trade deadline, so Brennan Bernardino and Michael Lorenzen (both 34-years-old), as well as Antonio Senzatela (31), would make sense for the Rox to move. And, as fun as he’s been after signing with Colorado this offseason, the front office may see what they can get back for 36-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano. A handful of position players could be in the mix, as well.
In recent history, the Rockies have been quiet at the trade deadline (and that’s a vast understatement). They’ve held onto prospects that they valued much more highly than the rest of the league and saw their returns diminish as they fizzled out. They also held onto players at the end of their contracts and saw them walk in free agency.
If the front office’s transactions and comments are any indication of how they’ll move this club forward, we should expect more of a “strike while the iron’s hot” approach as we near August. There will be big decisions to make as the Rockies look to recoup value, clear the way for prospects, and continue the move forward.
Who do you expect to see moved by August 3rd? Who do you hope the Rockies lock up for a few more years? And what other big trade predictions do you have, not just for the Rockies but around the league? Let us know in the comments!