As the Major League Baseball trade deadline approaches, it’s becoming more and more clear that the Colorado Rockies may not be big buyers or sellers. However, it’s still possible that a piece or two of the Colorado roster may move before the deadline hits in August 1.
One of the names being bantered about the most currently is Colorado left-handed reliever Boone Logan. The 31-year-old southpaw has established himself as a hot commodity for teams needing a shutdown lefty in the bullpen.
Logan enters Friday’s action with a 1-0 mark and 2.48 ERA on the season. Opponents are hitting just .152 against him as Logan has been used by Colorado manager Walt Weiss as a specialist against left-handed batters.
Logan has never been a hotter commodity than he is right now for the Rockies. He’s in the midst of a career year in terms of effectiveness on the mound. Over his last 15 games, he’s 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA. His overall 0.86 WHIP is impressive and he currently has a 17.0 percent swinging strike ratio, which is good for eighth in all of MLB.
Another thing that is making Logan an interesting acquisition for many teams is that his contract with Colorado will expire at season’s end. If acquired by another team, he’d come into the clubhouse with the pure focus of helping that team through the playoffs and then figuring out his future after the season expired.
One of the teams very interested in Logan is the Toronto Blue Jays. Our sister site that covers the Blue Jays, Jays Journal, published this article to break down how Logan would benefit the American League contenders who entered Friday just 1.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the race for the AL East crown.
Consider this quote from the Jays Journal author and senior editor Keegan Matheson…
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Being used primarily against left-handed hitters (72 LH batters faced as opposed to 38 RH), Logan’s immediate appeal on the trade market are his strong splits. He’s held left-handed hitters to a .147 batting average and .418 OPS this season while still finding great success against the righties.
This has already been Logan’s most valuable season according to advanced metrics as he owns a 1.83 FIP and 1.0 WAR. Along with forcing ground balls at a rate slightly better than his career average (53.8%), Logan has yet to allow a home run and has limited hard contact.
With numbers like that and teams like Toronto needing a left-handed specialist, it’s easy to see why several teams, including the Blue Jays, are salivating over the possibility of adding Logan.
The question is … will it happen? Again, Logan is at the height of his trade value right now and Colorado Rockies management will assuredly remind other teams that if they want Logan, it won’t be a one-sided deal.
Next: Reasons Why the Rockies Should Buy or Sell
Toronto and Colorado worked together on the Troy Tulowitzki deal and that has benefitted the Rockies greatly with the additions of Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco into the Colorado fold. If Toronto or another team could offer prospects that could help the Rockies win sooner than later, the time might be perfect to send Logan to another team.