Colorado Rockies rumors: 3 trade targets already being discussed

With the start of the month of July, the rumors regarding the Colorado Rockies and Major League Baseball’s trade deadline will kick into high gear.

The end of the month will also bring the deadline upon the Rockies and the rest of the league. With Colorado sitting in prime position to earn its first postseason bid since 2009, Jeff Bridich and his management team will more than likely do one of two things: Either stick with the team already assembled (a possibility we discussed in this article) or look for trade partners who could make the 2017 Rockies even stronger for the postseason.

Noah Yingling looked at three starting pitchers who could be targets for the Rockies in this article. I looked at three bullpen arms who could help Colorado in this article. Feel free to click on the links as they will open in a separate browser and you can read them once you’re done with this article.

While Noah and I have examined some of the names that are out there, there are already plenty of rumors floating out and about regarding which players could be wearing purple and pinstripes soon.

In this article, we’ll look at three names who have been mentioned in conjunction with the Rockies and what the acquisition might mean for the team.

Ivan Nova, Pittsburgh Pirates

Our friends at Call to the Pen (CTTP) made the suggestion that Ivan Nova could be a good fit for Colorado’s rotation as well. We actually discussed Nova joining the Rockies before the season began in this article.

More from Colorado Rockies Rumors

• Colorado Rockies: Could recent injuries change their offseason philosophy?
• 3 free agents the Colorado Rockies should already be targeting
• The Colorado Rockies should take a flier on outfielder Franmil Reyes
• MLB trade rumors: Rockies could deal Chad Kuhl, Carlos Estévez on Trade Deadline Day
• 7 trade destinations for Colorado Rockies closer Daniel Bard

However, it will be interesting to see what Pittsburgh does at the trade deadline. As of Saturday night, at 37-43, the Pirates were just five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the race for the National League Central crown. True, the Pirates would have to leapfrog not only the Brewers but also the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals to win the division. However, being that close to the division lead and knowing no team has put a firm grip on the division is a tantalizing thought.

As CTTP said in its article, one of the most interesting stats about Nova is his proficiency to induce ground balls. Heading into Saturday, he ranked third in the Majors with 142 groundouts, just ahead of Colorado’s Kyle Freeland and his 138 groundouts.

Nova has struck out 60 in 108 innings while walking just 13. He’s also crafted a 3.08 ERA. The Rockies have been linked to Nova for a few months now. Perhaps it will finally happen by the end of the month. His price tag would certainly be cheaper than Verlander’s, meaning less the Rockies would have to surrender in terms of prospects. That’s always a thought to keep in mind.

J.D. Martinez, Detroit Tigers

Let’s go back to Detroit for a moment and look at the possibility of J.D. Martinez joining the Rockies.

He’s batting .294 this season with 13 homers and 29 RBI. He’s also enjoying a career-high 1.016 OPS. Martinez is also in the final year of his $11.75 million contract and mentioned in several places as a player who will be on the move as the trading deadline draws near … with Colorado as a landing spot.

Martinez is the only position player mentioned in this article because the Rockies, on the surface, don’t need more outfielders. However, having a bat like Martinez sitting on the bench when the postseason draws near could be a big plus for the Rockies. This could be especially valuable if Carlos Gonzalez isn’t able to break out of his slump or the Rockies use some of their outfield depth as a trading chip.

A seven-year veteran who has spent time in Houston and Detroit, Martinez fouled a ball off his right foot in the seventh inning of Thursday’s game against Kansas City. He shook it off, stayed in the game and finished the at-bat, lacing an RBI single to finish off a 15-pitch at-bat that included the “foot ball.”

Next: What if the Rockies are quiet at the deadline?

That’s the kind of season it has been for Martinez, who followed that with a 2-for-4 performance including a homer in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday. That kind of good mojo has to land somewhere, and it could well be in Colorado … if the Rockies are willing to give up some prospects to grab a player who could bolster their bench or more.