Colorado Rockies Rumors and Free Agent Targets Update

We all know the Colorado Rockies need to fill holes at first base and in the bullpen. Those are the two main areas where the Rockies need an “upgrade” this season in order to compete for a spot in the 2017 postseason.

We’ve outlined four of the options for first base in this article and we’ve thrown out a couple of names for the bullpen in this article. So where are things standing with some of the free agents who are out there who might fit Colorado’s needs? Let’s take a rundown.

First base

Matt Holliday

There’s no question that re-signing Holliday to return to the Rockies would be one of the feel-good moments for this franchise. He started his career in Colorado and was one of the most pivotal players during some of the Rockies’ best seasons. And the fact that he had “the slide” in Game 163 when new Colorado manager Bud Black was standing in San Diego dugout isn’t lost on anyone. Black potentially having Holliday as one of his biggest weapons in 2016 is dripping with irony.

There are several teams interested in Holliday’s services. Teams who may be interested include the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians. Note that those are all American League teams where Holliday would serve primarily as a designated hitter. Colorado is the only National League team widely reported to be looking at him primarily at first base.

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Mike Napoli

One of the reasons Cleveland is interested in Holliday is because the Indians could be losing Napoli in the offseason. We’ve detailed a lot of the reasons why Napoli would be a good fit for the Rockies on and off the field in this article. His postseason resume in recent years is eye-popping to say the least.

In their extensive article on free agents, MLBTradeRumors.com is predicting that Napoli will re-sign with the Indians but list plenty of American League teams as suitors. Again, the Rockies are the only National League team listed.

Mark Trumbo

A recent report said the market for Trumbo was “bustling” and it’s no surprise. He led the Majors in homers last season and is a right-handed power hitter that the Rockies and so many other teams would love to have at first base or in their lineup.

There is talk that Baltimore doesn’t want to lose Trumbo and may even be willing to put together a multi-year deal. Would the Rockies roll the bones on an idea like that? It’s possible, but Colorado also has youngsters like Ryan McMahon waiting in the wings and signing Trumbo to a long-term deal flies in the face of what the Rockies have done in recent years to establish their youth movement.