Colorado Rockies: Remembering Todd Helton trade talks to Boston Red Sox

Let’s take a look back at a time when the Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox were reportedly discussing a trade for Todd Helton.

Right now, it’s difficult to focus on what we do have. In a time where basic necessities aren’t a guarantee in a pandemic, it feels like sports should be the last thing on our minds. Maybe they are not, but that’s okay. The best thing about sports though is that it brings us together. Even when we can’t be together. So when we’re having Opening Day at Home and can’t have those sweet sounds and smells of the ballpark, here we are going to focus on what we do have. No matter what, we will always have baseball and the surrounding community to get us through this.

In that spirit, we are reminiscing on what a pleasure it is to know that Todd Helton was always in a Rockies uniform. Right now, this seems like it was always a given. Many might remember though, Helton was nearly traded to the Red Sox in the offseason after the 2006 season. But that wasn’t the first time the Rockies’ All-Star would almost sign in Boston. Here we reminisce on how the Rockies nearly changed the course of their franchise history. Twice.

In 2000, Helton had his best season hitting .372, 147 RBI, and 42 home runs. He hit .391 at home and .351 on the road. Say #Coors all you want, but that is unbelievable. It was his first of five consecutive All-Star appearances. He was the best first baseman in baseball, certainly in the National League until Albert Pujols got a few years under his belt after his debut in 2001. For Helton’s performance, the Rockies rewarded him in April 2001 with the fourth-richest contract in the history of baseball at the time with a nine-year, $141.5 million extension that took effect in 2003. Only Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Manny Ramirez were paid more.

Why the trade had legs

It’s important to mention how bad the Rockies were the first half of the 2000s. After Larry Walker left for St. Louis, it was still “Todd and The Toddlers.” Helton had no support around him. From his first full season in 1998 through 2006, the Rockies were above .500 once (at 82-80 in 2000). Every other year they finished fourth or last in the division with very little hope of improvement. No one would have blamed him for wanting to move on similarly to how Nolan Arenado feels about the current state of the Rockies and team management. But at least Arenado sniffed the playoffs. Helton never got close at this point.

In 2007, Helton had a complete no-trade clause. It was reported though that he told management he’d waive the clause and accept a trade to Boston. This deal had been some time in the making as the talks started after the 2005 season. The talks then resumed a year later after the winter meetings and the sides agreed on the money. The Rockies would pay less than half of his remaining six-year contract of $90 million. If it weren’t for two prospects, Helton may have finished his career in Boston.

Owner Charlie Monfort at the time said the team didn’t want to tie up too much money in one player. This wasn’t the first time the club tried to trade their superstar that offseason as a deal with the Los Angeles Angels never materialized. The Rockies were determined and this Boston trade was all but a done deal. The Rockies were to receive third baseman Mike Lowell who hit .284 in 2006 and Julian Tavarez who was a mostly a middle-reliever who had a 4.47 ERA the same year. Those two players alone would indicate the Rockies would have been in full rebuild mode.

Trade talks break down

The deal fell apart though because of two prospects. The Rockies wanted relievers Craig Hansen (career 4-9 record, 6.34 ERA, 70 strikeouts, played on and off for four MLB seasons) and Manny Delcarmen, who eventually played for the Rockies in 2010 after being traded for a minor league prospect. The talks broke down from there and Monfort released the players that were included in the talks for Helton, which upset the Red Sox management and further soured the relationship between the two clubs. Helton was to remain a Rockie and there were never as serious of trade speculation again for him as there were after the turn of the 2006-07 offseason.

For that proposed trade, the Rockies came out much further ahead. If it would have been executed, it’d be the worst trade in franchise history. Even with the savings the club made on the contract, they showed no signs of spending. But it was reported that the Rockies wanted to pick from a top-tier list of a couple of prospects. Those players included Jon Lester, Craig Hansen, Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Bard, Manny Delcarmen, and Clay Buchholz. The Red Sox didn’t want any part of that and for good reason. It was top-tier prospects or bust for the Rockies.

If the team got Lowell and Tavarez along with Lester, Ellsbury, or Buchholz, would you make the trade? Even with the strong possibility that those players would have never reached the level they did if they had played in a Rockies uniform? All we know is that Helton stayed a forever Rockie as he marched into the most magical season in franchise history. Ironically, and as no Rockies fan needs reminding, the Sox beat the Rockies in Game 4 with Lester on the mound in the 2007 World Series.

But if that trade happens, the Rockies may have never made the playoffs in that decade. Sure, Helton deserved more hardware and accolades and maybe he could have achieved it somewhere else. But for a franchise and a fanbase that had been forever longing for validation and success, Helton couldn’t have been in a better place at a better time.

We are forever thankful that number 17 played for the Rockies for 17 years. Here’s to the memories. Thank you Todd.