Rockies Could Trade Ramon Hernandez

Marco Scutaro is gone, Michael Cuddyer is making salty T-shirts, and now Ramon Hernandez might be on his way out of town. RIP, clubhouse culture (March 2012-March 2013).

Buddies. Image: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports writes that Hernandez, along with Chris Nelson (more on this soon), are two available players as the Rockies consider potential trades in the final weeks leading up to opening day. In stating the most obvious of the obvious, Rosenthal reports that the Rockies are seeking a veteran starting pitcher.

Hernandez was such a catastrophe in 2012 it is easy to forget that 2011 was a good year for him. That season with the Reds he batted .282 with 12 HR and was a 2.1 WAR player in 91 games. His production was considered comparable to Chris Iannetta‘s and he was willing to cede the starting job to Wilin Rosario over the course of the season. That all sounded great until he actually took the field. Eventually lampooned by injuries, Hernandez struggled to the tune of a depressing .216 average and a -0.6 WAR. Really, the WAR column for 2012 would be better filled with a frown face or a thumb’s down.

The Rockies and any potentially interested trade partner have to decide which version of Hernandez they think they are getting in 2013. Now that the Rockies need a more true back-up than they did one year ago, they ought to be comfortable handing that job to their old buddy Yorvit Torrealba and shopping Hernandez to anybody that will take him. And I do mean anybody.