5 trade targets from the Chicago Cubs for the Colorado Rockies

Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras would be a great pickup for the Colorado Rockies

Six months ago, the Colorado Rockies desperately needed a catcher. However, given the resurgence over catcher Elias Díaz and his subsequent three-year contract extension, the Rockies don’t need a starter. However, Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras would provide the Rockies with a bat and a versatile catcher.

Contreras had a knee injury and a hip injury that, combined, cost him about two weeks of time (the hip injury happened on the second-to-last day fo the season) but he still played in 128 games in 2021 and he was one of the Cubs best players.

He had 21 homers and 57 RBI with a slash line of .237/.340/.438 with an OPS+ of 108. Defensively, he had 8 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), which helped him accrue an rWAR of 4.1.

In 2020, he had an OPS+ of 106 and a WAR of 1.0 in 57 games but in 2018 and 2019, he was an All-Star for the Cubs. His best season of the two was in 2019 when, in 105 games, he hit 24 homers and had 64 RBI with a slash line of .272/.355/.533 with an OPS+ of 127 and a rWAR of 3.2.

The Rockies may not look at Contreras since he is a catcher and they already have Elias Díaz but if the DH comes to the NL, he would be a better fit. Also, Contreras can play other positions. Between the majors and minors, Contreras has played at least 20 games at first base, third base, left field, and right field. The Rockies also love having a catcher who can play other positions as 2021 was the first year in a decade that they haven’t had one (or an infielder that had catching experience).

Contreras is entering his final season before free agency so the Rockies wouldn’t have much control but that would also make him cheaper in a trade.