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Colorado Rockies: A look at the starting pitching options on the trade market

By Noah Yingling

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 29: Starting pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of the opening day MLB game at Chase Field on March 29, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 29: Starting pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of the opening day MLB game at Chase Field on March 29, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 27: Starting pitcher J.A. Happ #33 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 27, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 27: Starting pitcher J.A. Happ #33 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 27, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

J.A. Happ

For the same reason that the Baltimore Orioles will be selling, the Toronto Blue Jays will, or at least should be, selling before the trade deadline. They enter the month with a record of 25-31 and more than a dozen games out of the race for the division and more than eight games out of the AL Wild Card race.

J.A. Happ enters the month with 7-3 with a 3.84 ERA and a FIP of 3.45 in 11 starts. His WHIP is 1.112 and he has nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings. In the past three seasons, he is 41-23 with an ERA of 3.43 (ERA+ of 123). That includes his 2016 season in which he came in 6th in the AL Cy Young Award voting when he went 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA.

Since he is a free agent at the end of the season, he will almost certainly be traded and to a contender. He also has postseason experience as he had made 10 appearances (3 starts) in the postseason and he has an ERA of 3.72. In the postseason with the Blue Jays, Happ has made two starts with a 2.70 ERA.

Michael Fulmer

Michael Fulmer is one of the more intriguing options on this list. This season, he has struggled a bit as he is 2-4 with a 4.60 ERA. His main problem has been his command, as he is walking 1.4 more batters per nine innings, and he is allowing nearly the double the home runs than he did last season.

However, in the only two seasons of his MLB career prior to this year, he had an ERA of 3.45 (129 ERA+). In 2016, he came in 10th in the AL Cy Young Award voting and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Last season, he was an All Star.

He is only arbitration eligible for the first time after this season and is under team control through the 2022 season so the Tigers would seek more in return for Fulmer.

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