Colorado Rockies: Seven trade targets from the Baltimore Orioles

The Colorado Rockies have a fair amount of things that they need to address this offseason on their roster. That includes finding a shortstop, some pitching help, a center fielder, and (perhaps) another bat to accommodate the designated hitter (if it comes).

But until the lockout is lifted, the Rockies and the other 29 MLB teams cannot make any signings or trades of players on the 40-man roster. However, all teams can make signings of players to minor league deals and trades for players not on a 40-man roster or for players not on a 40-man roster in 2021 (e.g. Dee Strange-Gordon is a 10-year MLB veteran but since he didn’t play in the majors in 2021 and wasn’t on a 40-man roster, the Washington Nationals could sign him but only to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.)

While teams cannot contact each other regarding the players on 40-man rosters and teams cannot be in touch with agents for free agents, teams can do their due diligence by scouting other teams players so that they can make moves after the lockout ends.

After all, with the way things are looking currently, the lockout may go until or after the start of when Spring Training traditionally would be (end of February). As a result, the Rockies and the other teams may only have a week or so between the lockout ending and the start of Spring Training, meaning that we could have a week like the final week before the lockout, where tons of free agents were signing.

In the meantime, we are going to look at every single MLB team and what players the Colorado Rockies should (or could) look at as a trade target. Earlier this offseason, we looked at one player from each team that the Rockies should look at trading for but with this series in the coming weeks, we are going to be looking at multiple targets from each team.

However, we are just going to look at players on the 40-man rosters for each team. Today, we are going to start in the AL East and start alphabetically so the Baltimore Orioles are up first.

Here are six trade targets the Colorado Rockies should (or could) look at this offseason.

Baltimore Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins should be a target for the Colorado Rockies

A couple of weeks ago, we examined the case for the Colorado Rockies trading for Baltimore Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins.

As we said at the time, Mullins, 27, was MLB’s only 30-30 player in 2021 as he hit exactly 30 homers and had exactly 30 stolen bases. He was the Orioles only All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award
Overall, he hit .291/.360/.518 with 30 homers, 59 RBI, and he had an OPS+ of 135. He came in 9th in AL MVP voting and he posted an rWAR of 5.7.

The downside to Mullins never played more than 48 games in a season at the MLB level before 2021. He never showed that kind of power in the majors or minors as his career-high in homers before 2021 was 14.

The Orioles will have a very asking price for Mullins considering his controllability (he will have four years until free agency under the current CBA but that may change) and his 2021 season but as long as the Rockies don’t have to part ways with their top few prospects (Zac Veen, Benny Montgomery, Drew Romo, etc.), they should definitely consider it.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays could be another target for the Colorado Rockies.

Back in October when we discussed one trade target for the Colorado Rockies from each team, our choice for the Baltimore Orioles was outfielder Austin Hays.

Hays was drafted by the Orioles in the 3rd round of the 2016 Amateur Draft, 10 picks after the Colorado Rockies drafted a shortstop from California by the name of Garrett Hampson.

As we said in October, Hays, 26, just played in his first full MLB season in 2021 but he did play in the majors in parts of three seasons for a combined 74 games) so he has just over two years of service time (and four years of control under the current CBA)

In 2021, he hit 22 homers and had 71 RBI with a slash line of .256/.308/.461 and an OPS+ of 106. For the large Coors Field outfield, the Rockies should really look at him as he had 15 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) between left and right field.

Also, coincidentally, Hays graduated from Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida, which is the same high school where 2020 Rockies first-round draft pick Zac Veen graduated high school as well. Even more coincidentally, Veen is celebrating his birthday today as he is turning 20.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini could be another target for the Colorado Rockies.

If the Colorado Rockies believe that they are close to contention (which, is HIGHLY suspect if the last three seasons are any indication but they believe that they are closer than anyone outside of the organization thinks), then the Colorado Rockies should consider trading for Trey Mancini.

Mancini, who turns 30 in March, won the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2021, and for good reason. He missed the 2020 season as in March, he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. He was declared cancer-free in November and returned to the Orioles and played in 147 games in 2021.

He hit .255/.326/.432 with 21 homers, 71 RBI, and an OPS+ of 104. He exclusively played first base in 2021 but prior, he has played left and right field as well. His best season was in 2019 when he hit .291/.364/.535 with 35 homers, 97 RBI, and an OPS+ of 134.

For the Rockies, he would address their need for a hitter and he could DH if the DH comes to the NL. However, he could be just a rental as he is a free agent after the 2022 season. But if the Rockies think that they are a contender and if the Orioles are willing to trade him, he could be a fit.

Baltimore Orioles ace John Means could help the Colorado Rockies starting rotation.

John Means is, by far, the Baltimore Orioles’ best starting pitcher but, according to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Orioles are “dangling” him to teams and with Jon Gray leaving the Colorado Rockies for the Texas Rangers, Means could replace him in the starting rotation.

Means, who turns 29 in April, still has three years left of control so he would not be a rental but because of that, the Orioles could be looking for a lot in a trade return.

In 2021, Means missed some time due to a shoulder injury so he only made 26 starts. As Olney mentioned, Means was good before the injury (partially due to some good luck as he had an ERA of 2.28 but a FIP of 4.20 in his 12 starts before his injury) but after he returned, he scuffled. In his final 14 starts, he had an ERA of 4.88 (FIP of 5.01).

Overall, he had a 3.62 ERA in 2021 in 146 2/3 innings. He had mostly good stats in 2020 (career low walk rate, career high strikeout rate, a WHIP of sub-1.00) but the long-ball killed him. He allowed 2.5 homers per nine innings, amounting to a 4.53 ERA and a 5.60 FIP.

In 2019 (his rookie year), he appeared in 31 games (27 starts) and had an ERA of 3.60 (4.41 FIP) and he was an All-Star and came in 2nd in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

The problem for him and the Rockies would be his flyball rate. Rockies starting pitchers have a groundball percentage rate in the 40s or low 50s. Means’ groundball rate was 30.7 percent in 2019, 43.9 percent in 2020, and 32.6 percent in 2021. His flyball rate was around 30 percent in 2019 and 2021 and around 25 percent in 2020.

For comparison, Germán Márquez hasn’t had a flyball rate above 20.5 percent or a groundball rate lower than 47.3 percent in the last four seasons and he pitches better at Coors Field than on the road.

Baltimore Orioles reliever Dillon Tate could be an asset in the Colorado Rockies bullpen

Dillon Tate has had an odd career already in baseball despite only pitching in the majors for slightly more than two seasons. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 Amateur Draft by the Texas Rangers, who picked one spot behind the Colorado Rockies, who chose an infielder by the name of Brendan Rodgers.

Tate, 27, was traded just over one calendar year later along with two other prospects to the New York Yankees for Carlos Beltrán. Two years later (in 2018), the Yankees traded him to the Orioles with two other prospects for Zack Britton.

Tate had a rough go of it in his first few MLB appearances in 2019 (6.43 ERA in 16 appearances) but in 2020 and 2021, he pitched well as he appeared in 74 games with an ERA of 4.16 (111 ERA+) while striking out nearly seven per nine innings and walking three per nine innings.

The thing that should make him intriguing to the Rockies is his groundball rate. The Rockies starting pitchers have thrived at Coors Field due to high groundball rates (often 50 percent or higher) while most of the relievers are in the low 40s or in the 30s.

Since 2019 among relievers (minimum of 100 innings pitched), Tate has the 8th-highest groundball rate at 58.5 percent, per FanGraphs. That and a good walk rate points to pitching well in the Rockies bullpen.

Baltimore Orioles reliever Tanner Scott could also help the Colorado Rockies bullpen

Left-handed reliever Tanner Scott is a name that most Colorado Rockies fans probably haven’t heard of but he has spent part of the last five seasons in the bullpen for the Baltimore Orioles. However, since some of them were partial seasons, he would still have three years of control until free agency (under the current CBA).

Scott, 27, has had a mixed bag in the last three seasons as his ERA+ in the last three seasons are 100, 361, and 88. The 88 came in 2021 and it came in 62 appearances but his FIP was better than his ERA (4.41). He strikes out a lot of batters (11.6 K/9 since 2019) but his problem is that he walks six batters per nine innings.

If he got that under control (no pun intended), he could be a great reliever, especially for the Rockies. Scott, like Tate, has had one of the best groundball rates among relievers since 2019 as his 52.2 percent groundball rate (per FanGraphs) is among the top 20 relievers since then (minimum 100 innings pitched).

But, again, the problem is the walk rate, which will hurt a pitcher anywhere but with some good pitching minds like Bud Black, Steve Foster, and Darryl Scott, perhaps they could help him work it out.