3 Deadline Deals the Colorado Rockies Should Have Done

The Colorado Rockies talked about making some moves before the trade deadline, but ultimately nothing panned out. It can be argued that it’s better not to trade than to rush into a questionable trade, but that’s not what this article is here to do.

A quick note before we get to the list: As with the two previous hypothetical trade articles, all moves discussed in this post are based on the author’s speculation about roster fit and overall franchise direction. There’s no evidence that any of these moves were discussed or considered in any way. With that out of the way, on to the list!

1) Rockies send OF Charlie Blackmon to the Cleveland Indians for OF Bradley Zimmer, RHP Mike Clevinger and RHP Shawn Armstrong

There were a few rumors about Colorado moving their starting center fielder, but it was never likely to happen. When the team opened the second half on a hot streak, it cemented Blackmon’s place on the roster.

Still, it’s fun to dream about what the Indians might have been willing to pay for an outfielder with Blackmon’s combination of skill and long-term affordability. Cleveland moved a package of prospects even greater than this to acquire reliever Andrew Miller from the Yankees, so it’s not unreasonable to think Colorado could get a similar deal.

Zimmer is Cleveland’s top prospect, an outfielder who’s expected to be similar to Blackmon in the not-too-distant future. Clevinger is a top-5 prospect in the Indians system who made his MLB debut this season, and Armstrong is a reliever with electric stuff who should be big-league ready soon, if he’s not already there.

It’s definitely a seller’s move, but one that could have benefited the Rockies as soon as next season. 

2) Rockies trade C Dom Nunez to the Tampa Bay Rays for IF/OF Steve Pearce

Pearce is now with Baltimore, who acquired him from Tampa Bay for catching prospect Jonah Heim.

Nunez, much like Heim, is a young catcher that still has some work to do before reaching the major league level. In 2015, Nunez had a rough first half at the plate before crushing the ball in the second half of the season. This year, he limped out of the gates yet again, but once more he seems to be picking it up in the second half, as he’s currently on a seven-game hitting streak.

Pearce is slashing .309/.388/.520 this season. That’s already impressive, but he’s on another planet against left-handed pitching in 2016, slashing .389/.484/.741. His 1.225 OPS against lefties is the highest of any MLB hitter with at least 50 at-bats against southpaws. Pearce isn’t terrible against right-handers either (he’s hitting .280 against them this season).

Pearce comes with more than his fair share of red flags; he’s 33, fairly injury-prone and his contract is up at the end of the season. For Colorado though, he would have been a fairly inexpensive upgrade at first base in a division with some tough left-handed arms.

3) Rockies trade OF Jordan Patterson to the Chicago White Sox for RHP Nate Jones

As was written earlier this week, Patterson is an intriguing prospect but he has no clear path to MLB playing time in Colorado. On the south side of Chicago however, he’d be the heir apparent to Melky Cabrera. Cabrera is still a good hitter but he’s 34, he’s a shaky defender in left field, and he’s due to hit free agency again at the end of 2017.

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Patterson would instantly be the best outfield prospect in a fairly weak White Sox system, and Jones would instantly be the best reliever in a fairly weak Rockies bullpen. Jones is in his first full season back since Tommy John surgery in 2014, but he has looked dominant, averaging over a strikeout per inning to go along with an ERA of 2.44.

The White Sox traded left-handed reliever Zach Duke to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfield prospect Charlie Tillson on Sunday. Jones is a better pitcher than Duke but Patterson is a better prospect than Tillson, so it’s not too hard to imagine how a deal like this could have been done.

Next: Colorado Rockies Series Preview: Here Come the Dodgers

A lot of time was spent debating whether the Rockies should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. In the end, they ended up doing neither. An optimist can be glad the front office isn’t folding on this team or this season. But a realist can’t help but notice they definitely didn’t act like a team that expects to be fighting for a playoff spot a month from now.