Colorado Rockies: Our simulated trade with the Kansas City Royals

As the FanSided Fake Winter Meetings roll along, we decided that the Colorado Rockies could pull a deal with the Kansas City Royals that would benefit both teams.

In this swap (again, not in real life, but in simulation), the Colorado Rockies landed outfielder Jorge Soler from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for right-handed reliever Bryan Shaw and minor league pitcher Breiling Eusebio. With the Rockies in need of a corner outfielder with some power at the plate, we felt the move was good for Colorado on a few levels.

First, Soler is signed through 2020 and is due just over $9 million for the next two seasons. The price tag seemed right for a player who saw action in just 61 games last season due in part to injury. However, in those 61 games, Soler was productive, hitting nine homers and posting a .265 average. His 0.9 WAR was higher than Charlie Blackmon, David Dahl, Carlos Gonzalez or Gerardo Parra posted last season as well.

As a note, we believe Soler could be a spot starter for the Rockies and provide a bat off the bench. It isn’t expected he would be an everyday player but could certainly be a solid option at the plate when needed.

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Second, the price swap benefits the Rockies as well as they prepare for what will be a very expensive proposal to keep Nolan Arenado past next season. Shaw is due $18 million over the next two seasons so shedding his salary freed up roughly just over $8 million.

Third, a change of scenery (and leagues) for both of the main players in the deal may be just the thing they need. After a horrific debut season with the Rockies that saw the 31-year-old reliever the target of plenty of boos at Coors Field and left off the postseason roster, a trip back to the American League Central (where Shaw was so effective with the Cleveland Indians) may jumpstart his return. Soler’s most productive seasons happened with the Chicago Cubs so a return to the National League may be the thing he needs as well.

As for the other player in the simulated deal, Eusebio is one of Colorado’s top 20 prospects. However, making the swap also presented an opportunity for the Rockies to “win now” so trading away a prospect who threw just 9.1 innings in Class A last season wasn’t enough to turn the trade away.

What do you think? Was this trade a good value for the Rockies and would it provide benefits for the team as it chases the postseason again in 2019? Let us know in the comments section below.