Colorado Rockies Rumors: Updates on the First Baseman Search

Within the span of 24 hours, some big pieces of potential news came out regarding the Colorado Rockies and their search for a first baseman for the 2017 season.

As we reported yesterday, the Milwaukee Brewers non-tendered right-handed slugger Chris Carter on Monday night. With that decision, Carter will now become a target for teams looking for a first baseman (or designated hitter in the American League). The Rockies certainly fit into that mix and we talked about the positives and negatives of Colorado bringing Carter on board in this article.

One of the hottest names out there in Colorado’s first base search is Matt Holliday, who began his career with the Rockies. After his contract was not picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals, Holliday is another power hitter looking for a new team. The allure of a reunion with the Rockies has caused a lot of discussion and interest in the Colorado fan base, but Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post cautions it may be a little early to get too excited.

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In his interview with Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich, Bridich seems to indicate that the Rockies looked at Holliday initially more as an outfielder (a position where he’s seen action in 1,698 career games) versus a first baseman (where he has played in just 10 career games).

Although Holliday has expressed interest in a Rockies reunion, it’s clear the Rockies are not getting too sentimental and looking at all possible options at first base.

One of those options could well be another reunion … this time with 2016 first baseman Mark Reynolds. Currently a free agent after finishing his one-year contract with the Rockies expired at the end of last season, Colorado is once again interested in Reynolds, according to Chris Cotillo of SBNation.com and MLBDailyDish.com.

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Fighting through injuries last season, Reynolds batted .282 with 14 homers and 53 RBI in 118 games. He was also a pleasant surprise on the defensive side for the Rockies, a fact that could weigh into Colorado’s decision to potentially bring back in 2017.