Colorado Rockies trade rumors: Teams asking about Germán Márquez

According to MLB Network insider Mark Feinsand, the Colorado Rockies are receiving calls on the availability of starting pitchers Germán Márquez and Jon Gray as the 2021 MLB trade deadline (July 30) draws ever closer.

While there have been several speculative reports about Gray’s availability, including MLBTradeRumors.com recently listing him as the early leader to be the top trade candidate in all of Major League Baseball, in some circles, there has been just as much buzz about the potential for the Rockies to move Márquez at the deadline.

In his article, Feinsand listed the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Yankees as potential destinations for the 26-year-old Márquez. FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray recently talked about the Rockies and Cardinals being potential pitching trade partners.

But are the Colorado Rockies really going to trade Germán Márquez?

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The answer is very, very likely no. Colorado has Márquez on a very team-friendly contract through the end of the 2023 season and has a team option for 2024 as well. The right-hander was a key part of Colorado’s postseason runs in 2018 and 2019 and there is plenty of belief in Denver that, if the Rockies are going to return to relevancy, it will be behind Márquez serving as the team’s ace.

It’s very common for teams to inquire about the availability of players like Márquez when a team is mired near the bottom of the standings as the Rockies currently are. However, the return that the Rockies would receive for Márquez would likely keep the team from dealing him away.

While Gray’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, not only is Márquez under team control for the near future, but so are fellow starters Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela (free agents after the 2024 season) and Austin Gomber (free agent after the 2026 campaign). Colorado has a rotation core in place and will likely do everything it can to keep that intact.

With Coors Field and its altitude challenges scorned by free agent pitchers, Colorado relies largely on homegrown talent or trades that bring in talent (as Márquez and Gomber have shown). Those aren’t pieces the Rockies will view lightly in any trade talks. If a team is going to inquire about Márquez, the ask from the Rockies will likely be too great to see the deal come to fruition.