Jorge De La Rosa trade rumors: Kansas City Royals are interested

The Colorado Rockies want to keep Jorge De La Rosa. Even with his contract up at season’s end, the Rockies plan to issue him a qualifying offer in the hopes of eventually signing him to a multi-year deal.

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The case can be made that their plan is a mistake given the fact that the lefty will be 34 years old next year and his peripherals this year are less than kind. On the other hand, you could argue that the Rockies are in no position to trade one of the most successful pitchers in franchise history and a guy who is able to handle the rigors of Coors Field.

For their part the Rockies plan to keep him. It would take something drastic between now and Thursday’s deadline to change that, but it doesn’t mean interested teams will stop asking and/or making offers.

On that front, Jon Morosi reports that the Kansas City Royals remain interested in a potential deal for De La Rosa.

We know by now that the Rockies have options beyond the end of this season. They have ways to protect themselves from losing De La Rosa for nothing, including the possibility to not lose him at all if they work out an extension.

But there is still the chance that they will regret not pulling the trigger on a trade. That chance emerges from the context around this year’s deadline: sellers are getting nice hauls for players while buyers are getting desperate and overpaying.

I’m not saying that the Rockies would get some ridiculously big return for De La Rosa or anybody else, but it is risky to choose to keep sought-after players in this trade market.