What a Mark Trumbo trade would mean for the Colorado Rockies

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Trumbo would seem to be a great for the Colorado Rockies. Recently the Rockies have apparently discussed a trade for the slugging first baseman with the Los Angeles Angels, though it does not appear there is much substance to the talks at this point. Trumbo would fill a position of need and add a coveted power bat to the team’s surprisingly inconsistent lineup. One salivates at the possibilities if you added Trumbo’s pop (34 home runs and 100 RBI in 2013) to the lineup (with the current lineup, assuming no Dexter Fowler trade):

Dexter Fowler CF
DJ LeMahieu 2B
Carlos Gonzalez LF
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Mark Trumbo 1B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Wilin Rosario C
Nolan Arenado 3B
Pitcher

What the heck, let’s also throw out a version of the lineup sans Fowler:

Charlie Blackmon LF
LeMahieu 2B
CarGo CF
Tulo SS
Trumbo 1B
Cuddyer RF
Rosario C
Arenado 3B
Pitcher

Those lineups are nice, and each would give us yet another excuse to get our hopes up that this is the group that will actually hit on the road and mash opposing pitchers into the ground.

If you just think about the half of a trade that means the Rockies get Trumbo, things get pretty exciting. What it would take to get him, however, would signal a drastic change in philosophy when it comes to the Rockies and this year’s off-season.

You could divide the desired tactics of the Rockies’ front office into three main categories:

1. Trading hitting for pitching
2. Signing free agent pitchers
3. Signing free agent hitters

Or put it this way: new pitchers and hitters will come in, but only hitters will be sent out.

The Rockies need help on offense, but to date they have shown no willingness to part with pitching to get that help. Would Trumbo be worth changing that philosophy?

Have the Rockies identified adding a big bat to be such a significant need that they would trade young pitching for it? If so, where would they draw the line on who is available? Are they that confident in the state of their resilient starting rotation?

We might never have to answer these questions with the likely addition of free agent Justin Morneau to play first base. But if the Rockies did make a real push to trade for Mark Trumbo, it would raise some really interesting questions.