Colorado Rockies rumors: Brett Anderson will not be traded, likely to be back in Colorado in 2015

If I was willing to give the Colorado Rockies’ front office any measure of credit for being media-savvy, I might wonder if the reports about their intentions to keep Brett Anderson were partially an effort to drive up the lefty’s trade value with Thursday’s non-waiver deadline fast approaching.

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But hey, this is the Rockies we are talking about, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. When this front office says they plan to exercise a $12 million team option to keep Anderson with the Rockies in 2015, you better believe that they are serious about it.

Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post wrote the following about Anderson’s status with the Rockies on Tuesday, noting that the Royals had shown interest in Anderson.

The Kansas City Royals have called the Rockies regarding Anderson, who’s turned in strong performances of late after missing three months with a broken left index finger. He’s 1-3 with a 3.24 ERA and fresh off his first victory in a Rockies uniform. Anderson’s recent work has all but convinced the club to pick up his $12 million option for next season.

The other team that expressed interest in trading for Anderson was the New York Yankees. It makes sense that they would be interested in Anderson given his track record in the American League. On a somewhat related note, that would also give them to a chance to pair him back up with his old buddy Brandon McCarthy.

But to confirm what Saunders reported on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that the Rockies will keep Anderson for 2015 and possibly beyond.

This makes a lot of sense for the Rockies. The risk with Anderson is his health, of course, but $12 million is not wholly unreasonable for a guy who arguably has the best chance to be a staff ace out of anybody and who has the goods to succeed at Coors Field. Furthermore, he brings personality and leadership that could be important for the Rockies as the rest of the roster is potentially in flux.

The Rockies will keep Brett Anderson, and in this case they are getting things right with that decision.