Colorado Rockies rumors: Carlos Gonzalez most likely to be traded?

The Colorado Rockies are staring down some dicey situations with their payroll between the 2014 and 2015 seasons. They made the decision to re-sign Jorge De La Rosa to a two-year deal, good for $12.5 million over the next two seasons.

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As we have noted previously here at Rox Pile, that leaves the front office with the following contracts to consider as they construct their 2015 roster. Presuming their payroll lands in the $90-95 million range again, you can see where challenges arise:

• Troy Tulowitzki: $20 million
• Carlos Gonzalez: $16.5 million
• De La Rosa: $12.5 million
• Justin Morneau: $6.75 million
• Boone Logan: $5.5 million

That’s not to mention the fact that the Rockies want to re-sign Michael Cuddyer, or at least they say they do, and they have the option to bring Brett Anderson back at $12 million.

If the Rockies are going to sufficiently improve their roster and address their needs in the bullpen, they probably need to free up some more money. With that in mind, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post suggested that the team might have to make a trade this off-season, and if they do, it is most likely going to involve Carlos Gonzalez (Saunders was a guest on the Baseball Tonight podcast when he offered that opinion).

This is the move that makes sense. The Rockies might not get maximum value for CarGo because he is coming off a knee injury, but if he looks healthy enough to be ready for spring training, he will still yield quality players in return. Furthermore, it is logical to trade him to free up salary when the Rockies have capable back-ups in the outfield, especially if they bring back Cuddyer.

If the Rockies do trade CarGo this winter, they will probably have to settle for $0.70 on the dollar, or less, in terms of the players they get in return for him. But given the opportunity to free up payroll and instill some much needed change in organizational philosophy, that type of trade might be a move that they have no choice but to make.