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Colorado Rockies roundtable: What will they do at the trade deadline?

By Kevin Henry |
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Manger Bud Black of the Colorado Rockies of the Colorado Rockies before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 20, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers won 12-5. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Manger Bud Black of the Colorado Rockies of the Colorado Rockies before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 20, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers won 12-5. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 21: (L-R) Elias Diaz #35 and Daniel Bard #52 of the Colorado Rockies during a MLB exhibition game at Globe Life Field on July 21, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 21: (L-R) Elias Diaz #35 and Daniel Bard #52 of the Colorado Rockies during a MLB exhibition game at Globe Life Field on July 21, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Will the Colorado Rockies make any moves at the upcoming Major League Baseball trade deadline? We asked some of our colleagues for their thoughts.

With a shortened 60-game season in 2020 and the campaign not launching until Thursday, July 23 (and Friday, July 24 for the Colorado Rockies), it made no sense for Major League Baseball to keep its traditional July 31 trade deadline.

So, in a season unlike any other, the trade deadline was moved back to August 31. With the Rockies finishing their slate on September 27, any new additions would have less than a month of the regular season to play with Colorado, in addition to any postseason games.

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Entering Friday’s play at 12-6 and tied atop the National League West with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Rockies are certainly (as of now) in a good position to qualify for the expanded postseason. But, as with all fanbases, Rockies fans want more than just another trip to Rocktober. The club’s first-ever NL West title is currently in play and a deep journey into the postseason is certainly better than just making an appearance.

So will the Rockies make a trade at the deadline? Is it worth it to make a move? Who might the Rockies target? These are some of the questions we asked inside the Rockies press box. We’ll give you two perspectives and then finish the article with our own thoughts.

DENVER, CO – AUGUST 16: Scott Oberg #45 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on August 16, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 16: Scott Oberg #45 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on August 16, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Thoughts from Nick Groke of The Athletic

“Guesstimating the trade deadline this season is a total crapshoot because the parameters have changed. There’s always a risk, but now there’s even more risk. What if you make a trade to boost your postseason run and then the postseason gets canceled because of an outbreak? Oops. No takesy-backsies.”

“So if there’s a trade to be made, it makes more sense that it might be a low-risk player on the margins. Which, what do you know, that’s the kind of trade the Rockies tend to make. But they don’t need another catcher, so scratch off that idea. And their bullpen is not bad right now, even with Scott Oberg on the shelf, so that makes them a little less needy.

“In this climate, I’d be surprised if they did anything significant.”

Our thoughts

Groke is absolutely right about being able to guess on the trade deadline this year. How many trade rumors have you heard from national MLB insiders like Jeff Passan of ESPN, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and MLB Network, Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Jon Morosi of MLB.com, and others? None, at least thus far.

And part of it is because of the threat of an outbreak among a team or the season being canceled. Part of it is that, by percentage of games happening, a lot will happen between now and August 31. The Rockies, for example, will have gone from playing 30 percent of their games (18 games, entering Friday) to playing 58.3 percent of their games (35 games, entering August 31).

The Rockies’ biggest rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, acquired one of the best players in baseball, Mookie Betts, from the Boston Red Sox this offseason. If the season was completely canceled or they just had Betts for 60 games as they would have for this season, that trade does not look good for the Dodgers.

However, since the Dodgers have more revenue, they signed him to a 12-year extension, reportedly worth $365 million starting in 2021.

The Rockies won’t make that big of a trade if they make any other trades (besides the Jesus Tinoco trade last night) at all.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 12: Kevin Pillar #5 of the Boston Red Sox catches a fly ball from Yandy Diaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on August 12, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 12: Kevin Pillar #5 of the Boston Red Sox catches a fly ball from Yandy Diaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on August 12, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Thoughts from Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post

“I agree with Nick that this is a strange, dicey trade season. There are not a lot of quality, soon-to-be free-agents out there, so do you risk giving up too much for a short season? Of course, if they want to bring DJ (LeMahieu) back, that’s OK by me (it will never happen, but hey).

“In my mind, the bullpen is going to need help, because Scott Oberg isn’t coming back and Wade Davis isn’t going to ride to the rescue, even if his shoulder heals up. Even back in spring training, I never thought he could last as a full-time closer.

“To me, adding an outfielder would be a smart move. David Dahl isn’t hitting and Raimel Tapia runs hot and cold, especially on defense. How about raiding the sinking Red Sox for Jackie Bradley Jr. or Kevin Pillar?”

Our thoughts

The Rockies could absolutely use a veteran arm in the bullpen. As Saunders mentioned, when Wade Davis returns to the bullpen, it’s unknown exactly what he will be able to provide the Rockies. Additionally, his Coors Field demons have already popped up again this season.

Is there any kind of confidence in bringing Davis into the game in Denver with anything but a large lead of deficit?

If the Rockies were to look to other teams for bullpen help, Kansas City’s Ian Kennedy looked to be an option early in the season but 2020 has started rough for him (7.88 ERA and 10 hits allowed in eight innings of work).

Pittsburgh’s Keone Kela (2.40 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 48 appearances with Pittsburgh after being traded there from Texas) is another option, but he is just returning to the Pirates after testing positive for COVID-19 before Summer Camp began.

DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 07: Wade Davis #71 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after Orlando Arcia #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers hit a solo homerun in the ninth inning of Game Three of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field on October 7, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 07: Wade Davis #71 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after Orlando Arcia #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers hit a solo homerun in the ninth inning of Game Three of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field on October 7, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Final Thoughts

Do the Rockies need a closer? Not necessarily, as the schedule and lack of off-days will allow several relievers to have a chance at saves and closing out games. After all, four players already have saves through Colorado’s first 18 games.

What the Rockies do need, however, is to raise the level of options for Bud Black to go to in September and beyond. Seven of Colorado’s 10 games against the Dodgers this season come after the trade deadline, and 19 of Colorado’s 24 games in the month come against NL West foes. To have a team that is as high-octane as it can be in September and beyond would be a big plus for the Rockies.

Colorado has shown early this season that they can win with strong pitching. Now the Rockies have to be able to duplicate that success as the schedule moves along in order to not only make the postseason but make a deep run in it as well.

But is the move to acquire a pitcher or extra offensive piece worth it with the shorter time frame the team would have the “rental?” It will take moving some prospects or current 40-man roster pieces to make it happen.

Next. Charlie Blackmon talks the chase to hit .400 in a season. dark

Do you mortgage a potential piece of the future in exchange for a short-term run at a division title and more? That’s the biggest question to be answered, and one that will determine if the Rockies really make a move or not by August 31.

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