Colorado Rockies: 3 rumors that need to be dismissed now

The Rockies aren’t trading away Jon Gray. I don’t know how much more clearly that needs to be stated.

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With a Colorado rotation in desperate need of not only bodies but actual good pitchers, it would make little to no sense for the Rockies to trade off their former first-round pick who was arguably the most consistent starter for them last year.

The just-turned-28-year-old right-hander isn’t going to be a free agent until 2022. He’s coming off a season where he posted a 2.10 ERA in games he won (11 of them). It was also a campaign where he proved the hard work he put in during the offseason paid off in a big way.

Sure, last offseason we traded Gray away to the Tampa Bay Rays for C.J. Cron. But that was during a time when it seemed Gray might need a reboot with a change of scenery. Instead, he found it inside a gym and on the mound for the Rockies.

That was then. This is now … and the near-future Rockies absolutely need Jon Gray on the mound.

Sure, the Rockies are going to trade Scott Oberg, their most reliable reliever last season and likely closer for 2020, to the Houston Astros. If you believe that, you must have missed just how bad the Rockies bullpen was for stretches of last season.

Oberg will be 30 by the time next season starts and, after recovering from a blood clot in his right arm, every discussion about the back end of the bullpen in 2020 will start and end with him. Carlos Estevez and Jairo Diaz showed their worth last season, but they will very likely be setup men for Oberg.

Could the Rockies get by without Oberg? Sure, but losing a reliever of his caliber over the last two seasons (a combined 14-2 with an ERA of 2.35 in 114.2 innings pitched) makes zero sense. It’s like asking someone if they could get by without dessert in 2020. You could … but why would do that to yourself?

Colorado needs reliable arms in the bullpen, not possible arms for future seasons. It’s that simple.

This is the one that perhaps cracks me up the most. Follow the logic (or lack of it) here with me.

The Rockies don’t have a lot of money to spend this season

Trevor Story is likely getting a nice raise through arbitration in 2020.

He is also in line for a contract extension before he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2021 season.

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies have no money so they’ll jettison Story before they have to pay him.

Wait, what? There’s some kind of jumping the shark logic working here. However, there has been that buzz.

After all, there are those who say now is the time for the Rockies to trade Story, coming off his second straight All-Star berth and Silver Slugger Award. They’ll never get more for him than they will now, right?

For the Rockies to trade off one of the top offensive AND defensive shortstops of the game makes zero sense. Let’s put this notion to bed. There is still plenty of room for Nolan Arenado and Story to grow together as we detailed here. Colorado has arguably the best left side of the infield in the game today. They’re not going to break that up any time soon.

Over these next few weeks, with rumors flying around, take a deep breath before you put too much faith into them, Rockies fans. That’s the best advice we can give you.