Colorado Rockies rumors: What these players would bring to the team

The 2018 Winter Meetings in Las Vegas came and went, and despite flashy moves by many teams, the Colorado Rockies stayed quiet on the free agent and trade markets. Where can the club go from here?

To discouraged Colorado Rockies fans, I say this: Just because the Rockies didn’t make any moves during the Winter Meetings doesn’t mean general manager Jeff Bridich doesn’t have plans to try to improve his team. Multiple reports surfaced linking Colorado to first base options Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion before the Mariners and Indians pulled off a three-team trade involving the Tampa Bay Rays that sent Encarnacion to Seattle and Santana back to Cleveland after the Phillies sent him to the Mariners.

This deal most likely takes Santana off the market, but we have learned over the years not to rule anything out when it comes to Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto. Additionally, the Mariners appear to be in full-teardown mode after the departures of shortstop Jean Segura, starting pitcher James Paxton, second baseman Robinson Canó, closer Edwin Díaz, and OF/DH Nelson Cruz, so it’s possible Dipoto flips Encarnacion once he finds a deal he likes.

After the three-team blockbuster, Colorado is still searching for a more productive first base option than incumbent Ian Desmond. Thomas Harding, who covers the Rockies for MLB.com, reported more names the Rockies are looking into.

There are pros and cons attached to each. I’ll start with Daniel Murphy.

Murphy has spent most of his career as a second baseman, but defensive metrics like him better at first base. Murphy had a UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) of -0.5 and -1 DRS (defensive runs saved) in 83.2 innings at first base with Washington in 2018. He was a little bit worse than league-average in both categories (0 for UZR and DRS), but better than Desmond’s -2.5 UZR and -6 DRS.

Fangraphs also reports revised zone rating (RZR). It “measures the proportion of balls hit into a fielder’s zone that he successfully converted into an out.” (Hardball Times via Fangraphs). The site notes .835 as league-average. Murphy’s RZR at first base was below-average at an even .800, but still better than Desmond’s .739.

Murphy did need knee surgery over 2017-18 offseason and missed 63 games for the Nationals in 2018 before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs, according to a sportingnews.com report, which is cause for concern. If he were to permanently switch to first base, though, the stability at a less mobile position could do wonders for his health and defensive production.

Murphy’s real upside lies in his offense. He was a 0.8-win player in 2018, with a wRC+ of 110, better than league-average. He had an OPS+ of 108, and slashed .299/.336/.454. Compare that to Desmond’s -0.7 fWAR, 81 wRC+, 83 OPS+ and .236/.307/.422 slashline, and one can see Murphy is clearly the better offensive talent.

Desmond’s ground-ball tendencies are well-documented as well. He hit the ball on the ground 61.6 percent of the time in 2018 according to baseballsavant.com. Murphy? 35.4 percent. That fact alone is key to why Murphy experiences more offensive success than Desmond, and why he would fare even better a mile above sea level with Coors Field’s spacious outfield.

Murphy wouldn’t come without controversy, though. He has been very outspoken about his Christian faith, including his views on homosexual marriage. From an NBC Sports Chicago article, his exact quote regarding openly-gay former player Billy Bean, MLB’s Ambassador for Inclusion:

“I disagree with his lifestyle. I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual. That doesn’t mean I still can’t invest in him and get to know him. I don’t think the fact that someone is a homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect. Getting to know him. That, I would say, you can still accept them but I do disagree with the lifestyle, 100 percent.”

If the Rockies were to go in this direction, they would have to weigh their options carefully. Murphy’s talent is undeniable, and would go a long way in aiding an offensively-challenged club. But is the front office able to get past his comments and beliefs that have created significant division between those who agree with his values and those who don’t? Only Bridich has the answer.

Logan Morrison is an interesting option. He was one of the players Rockies fans wanted the club to pursue last offseason before he signed a one year deal with the Minnesota Twins worth $6.5 million.

Now he’s a free agent again, and knowing what we know now, it probably worked out for the best that he went elsewhere, at least in the Rockies’ perspective.

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In just 359 plate appearances for the Twins, Morrison slashed .186/.276/.368 with a .644 OPS. His OPS+ was far below average at 73, as was his 74 wRC+. He didn’t bring much value to the Twin Cities with those numbers, and his -0.7 fWAR showed it.

Defensively, he’s right there with Murphy and Walker. His UZR was -0.7 and his RZR was .800. Where he separates himself is in the DRS category. Between Morrison, Murphy, Walker and Desmond, Morrison is the only one with a positive DRS, 3 to be exact.

2018 was an injury-shortened season for Morrison, not unlike Murphy. He appeared in just 95 games, and was that was probably a big reason for his underwhelming offensive stats. The edge goes to Morrison over Walker because of his youth. Morrison will turn 32 next August, and was a 3-win player in 2017 with Tampa Bay, when he had a wRC+ of 130. With a change of scenery and a clean bill of health, Morrison could be a fairly productive player, though his 2018 season will bring a degree of concern for whichever team decides to go for him.

Finally, we end with Justin Smoak. He presents a different challenge than the others, because the Rockies would have to work out a trade with the Blue Jays in order to acquire him. He would be on the cheaper end, earning $8 million in 2019, but he’s entering the final year of his contract so the Rockies would be guaranteed only one full season of his services.

Smoak is coming off a great 2018 campaign offensively. He slashed .242/.350/.457 with an .808 OPS. His park-adjusted OPS+ was above-average, at 123. His wRC+ was 121, also above-average. His 1.7 fWAR proves he brought positive value to Toronto.

With the value Smoak brings offensively, the trade-off is his defense. It’s not bad by any means, but it can leave much to be desired. His UZR was -0.7 and his RZR was .788, better than only Desmond. He had -3 DRS, also besting only Desmond of the players discussed so far.

Murphy and Smoak are the Rockies’ best options because of their offensive output, with a slight edge going to Murphy considering his defensive potential.

As the free agent market continues to heat up, we’ll see what the front office decides it wants to do in the coming days and weeks. If the Rockies want to be taken seriously as a National League pennant contender, though, they are going to need to get more production from a crucial spot in the infield.