10 potential trade targets for the Colorado Rockies from the Seattle Mariners

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Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners, Marco Gonzales

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 01: Marco Gonzales #7 of the Seattle Mariners pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at T-Mobile Park on October 01, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

The Seattle Mariners trading Marco Gonzales to the Colorado Rockies would make it a homecoming.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Marco Gonzales is very familiar with the Colorado Rockies organization. Gonzales, who turns 30 in February, was drafted by the Rockies all the way back in 2010 but he didn’t sign, as he decided to pitch for Gonzaga in college but that’s not the only way they are connected.

Marco’s father, Frank, is a coach in the Rockies organization. He was their Double-A pitching coach in 2021 after he was supposed to be their pitching coach in 2020 before the pandemic. He has been a coach in the Rockies organization since 2013 and previously, he was the head baseball coach at Fort Collins High School and a coach with CSU’s club baseball team. Marco is also from Fort Collins himself as he was born there and graduated high school from there.

Gonzales has been the Mariners’ best starter in the last three seasons as, in 2021, he had a 3.96 ERA in 25 starts (105 ERA+). He had a 1.165 WHIP and a 2.5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2020, he led the AL in walk rate (0.8 BB/9) and he had a 3.10 ERA in 11 starts. He had a 3.32 FIP, a 0.947 WHIP, and 8.3 K/9 rate, which is the highest of his career so far.

In 2019, he led the majors in starts (34) and he had a 3.99 ERA. He had a 4.15 FIP, a 109 ERA+, a 1,310 WHIP, and a 2.6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Gonzales has had one of the lower groundball percentages in baseball since 2019 (his 37.4 percent groundball rate is 53rd-highest out of 60 starters with at least 300 innings pitched since 2019) but considering that he is from Colorado, he should be able to handle pitching at altitude better than most pitchers.

He is on a team-friendly deal as he is entering the second year of a four-year deal worth $30 million (plus a team option for a fifth year), which will make the likelihood of a deal lower and the asking price higher but the Rockies still should consider him.

He was also our choice for one Mariner the Rockies should look at as a trade target back in October.

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