Colorado Rockies: Could Ian Desmond really be part of a trade package?

Another day and another article with a proposed trade involving the Colorado Rockies. This one is certainly interesting … and involves Colorado’s biggest offseason signing from two offseasons ago.

In this MLB.com article exploring five wild trades that just might work, Mark Feinsand put together a trade that would send Ian Desmond and prospect Grant Lavigne to the Houston Astros in exchange for Josh Reddick. The trade assumes that the Astros won’t resign Marwin Gonzalez (who has been linked to the Colorado Rockies and almost every other Major League team) and that the Astros and Desmond would OK the fact that he has a “no trade clause” that kicks in if the Rockies were to trade him. That means he would be in Houston for the rest of his contract.

That could be a sticking point for any team interested in obtaining Desmond. He has $38 million left on his contract he signed before the 2017 campaign along with a $15 million club option for the 2022 season. There is plenty of money left on the table for a player who will turn 34 during the upcoming season and has put together a slash line of .251/.314/.404 in his two seasons in a Rockies uniform.

For his part, Reddick had a down season last year, logging a .242/.318/.400 slash line. The soon-to-be-32-year-old is being pushed by a prospect (Kyle Tucker) at his position, just like Desmond is being pushed by Ryan McMahon at first base.

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Regarding Desmond, the problem is this: We know manager Bud Black likes having Desmond’s versatility in the lineup and likes to put veteran players in positions to impact his team’s chances of winning. We also know that sending Desmond to another team not even halfway through his contract would signal that the five-year, $70 million deal was truly a mistake by Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich. It’s unlikely either Black or Bridich would budge on this deal.

While Rockies fans may not love Desmond (and let him know that at times last season), it would be an absolute shocker if he left Denver before the end of his contract. Desmond changing uniforms would signal failure and, at a time when the Rockies are looking for their third consecutive postseason appearance, keeping the status quo is much easier and less complicated.

When Desmond inked that contract, there was little doubt he wouldn’t see the end of it in a Rockies uniform. That won’t change this offseason, no matter how much some Rockies fans may want it or how tempting a trade package might be on paper.