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Colorado Rockies: The case for and against adding three free agents

ByKevin Henry|
BOSTON, MA - MAY 26: Mark Reynolds #12 of the Colorado Rockies congratulates Carlos Gonzalez #5 after he hit a two run homer against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning at Fenway Park on May 26, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 26: Mark Reynolds #12 of the Colorado Rockies congratulates Carlos Gonzalez #5 after he hit a two run homer against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning at Fenway Park on May 26, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 4: Corey Dickerson #6 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates a 374-foot home run to tie the game 3-3 against the San Francisco Giants with Daniel Descalso #3 in the ninth inning at AT&T Park on October 4, 2015 in San Francisco, California, during the final day of the regular season. The Rockies won 7-3. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 4: Corey Dickerson #6 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates a 374-foot home run to tie the game 3-3 against the San Francisco Giants with Daniel Descalso #3 in the ninth inning at AT&T Park on October 4, 2015 in San Francisco, California, during the final day of the regular season. The Rockies won 7-3. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Corey Dickerson (2017 with Tampa Bay) — .282/.325/.815 with 27 home runs and 62 RBI in 629 plate appearances.

Our own Noah Yingling wrote about how the Rockies should pursue a reunion with Dickerson now that the Tampa Bay Rays have mysteriously designated him for assignment. An All-Star season last year and he is suddenly a free agent. Go figure.

Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies

Dickerson is projected by Steamer on FanGraphs to post a .258/.308/.460 line. However, the rest is a mystery as the numbers could change if Dickerson heads back to the National League.

Baseball Reference, meanwhile, has the 29-year-old Dickerson hitting 25 home runs and driving in 66 runs with a .268/.316/.484 slash line in 569 plate appearances. Much like CarGo, would Dickerson really get that many at-bats in a Rockies uniform in 2018? If the Rockies shift Desmond to first and give him the opportunity in left, it’s possible. However, Desmond said the other day that he is expecting to spend most of his time in the outfield … although things could always change.

Defense is a liability for Dickerson, however. Placing him in the outfield does run a risk. Last season, he was -7.2 WAR on the defensive side of the ball. Compare that to Desmond’s -5.9 or even Tapia’s -4.7 and you can see that there are some issues there. Would the bat be enough to overcome those? Would the roster spot taken up by Dickerson who only plays outfield fit into Colorado’s theme of versatility? The answer is likely no.

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