Colorado Rockies: Three first base free agent targets

With Daniel Murphy likely becoming a free agent this offseason, the Colorado Rockies may decide to turn to the free-agent market this offseason for first base.

The contractual disaster that was Daniel Murphy’s contract has come to an end and the Colorado Rockies have a few different options in filling it. Internally, they may decide to do what they did toward the end of the 2020 season and play Josh Fuentes there every day.

They could decide to move Ryan McMahon over there and have Garrett Hampson or Brendan Rodgers play every day at second base. Less likely than those two, the Rockies could decide to plug Ian Desmond back in at first base every day.

Externally, they could look to trade for a first baseman on the trade market or they could also look to the free-agent market. For first basemen on the market, many of them have a club or mutual options on their contract, including six other first basemen (or players that have a different primary position but also can play first base) excluding Daniel Murphy.

It just so happens to be that those players with options are the best (and therefore, most expensive) options on the market. They include Anthony Rizzo, Carlos Santana, Eric Thames, Todd Frazier, and Mitch Moreland.

For this, we will exclude them as either their options are likely to be picked up or they will be out of the Rockies price range (unless they maneuver some salary in a trade).