3 trade targets from the Arizona D-Backs for the Colorado Rockies

1 of 4

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 28: Raimel Tapia #15 of the Colorado Rockies tugs on the jersey of infielder Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks as Marte admires Tapia’s new hair style during the third inning of the Cactus League spring training baseball game on February 28, 2021 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

We enter the final division in our Colorado Rockies trade target series and it is the NL West. Today, we start with the Arizona Diamondbacks. With that, things will be a little bit different.

Throughout the series thus far (25 teams), we have looked at 142 trade targets. Some are bullpen arms or bench options but most were players that could be everyday players. With going into the NL West, the chances of an inter-division trade for an All-Star talent (particularly one in 2021) are negligible … at best.

When the Colorado Rockies traded Nolan Arenado, they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals. They will have to face him six or seven times per season for the foreseeable future but that is better than trading him to the Dodgers and having him clobber the Rockies in 18 or 19 games per season.

Will we consider the NL West teams getting rid of their best players to the Rockies? Sure. After all, it’s baseball. Anything can happen but the likelihood of it happening is very slim. In theory, a big trade could happen between division rivals but the asking price will likely be much more.

That’s why the D-Backs and Rockies have only made one minor trade in the last 19 years (Matt Reynolds for Matt Wheeler in 2012).

In addition, for a trade, the Rockies have a bad MLB team, bad upper-level minor league teams, and a bad farm system so there’s not much to trade. They don’t have much to trade for a (for example) Cody Bellinger, who had a bad 2021 season but won the NL MVP award in 2019 for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Neither the Arizona Diamondbacks nor the Colorado Rockies are very good teams

For the Arizona Diamondbacks, they are a worse team than the Colorado Rockies. The D-Backs lost 111 games in 2021 and while they won’t be that bad in 2022, they will not be a good team.

But there are three trade targets that the Colorado Rockies should further examine from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Oct 1, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Daulton Varsho (12) dives home safely under the tag of Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz (35) in the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Daulton Varsho would be a fit with the Colorado Rockies

Back in October, we looked at one trade target for the Colorado Rockies from each MLB team, and for the Arizona Diamondbacks, we chose Daulton Varsho.

Varsho, 25, only played in 95 games at the major league level and he was one of the best players for the D-Backs. He hit .246/.318/.437 with 17 doubles, 11 homers, 38 RBI, an OPS+ of 102, and an rWAR of 1.7.

As we mentioned in this article back in October, the Colorado Rockies love their catchers that can play other positions (or vice versa). 2021 was the first season in a decade that they didn’t have this and Varsho would reinstate the tradition. In addition to catching, Varsho has played all three outfield positions for at least a dozen games each. He also played second and third base for at least a dozen games each in the minor leagues.

Defensively in 2021, he had -2 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), which is below league average but he had -6 DRS behind the plate in just 41 games. But in the corner outfield spots, he had 6 DRS in 24 games.

He made his debut in 2020 and he was below average on defense behind the plate and above average in the outfield, signifying that maybe he should be out there on a more regular basis.

He was a top 100 prospect entering 2020 (#76 overall, per MLB.com) so he will be tough to get with his potential and controllability but still definitely someone the Rockies should look further into.

Aug 20, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) reacts to his double next to Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story (27) in the first inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Ketel Marte could be traded and the Colorado Rockies are a fit

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Ketel Marte is, probably, their best player when healthy, making a trade to the Colorado Rockies unlikely. However, considering that Marte is entering what could be his contract year, the Diamondbacks could look to trade him soon.

Marte, 28, was injured in 2021 with a hamstring strain and a hip injury so he only played in 90 games but he was still very good. He hit .318/.377/.532 with 29 doubles, 14 homers, 50 RBI, and an OPS+ of 143. That pace for 162 games would be 52 doubles, 25 homers, and 90 RBI, which is exactly the bat the Colorado Rockies need.

In 2020, he was not as good as he only hit .287 with a .732 OPS and an OPS+ of 97 in 45 games but he was one of the best players in the NL in 2019.

He played in 144 games in 2019 and he had 36 doubles, nine triples, 32 homers, and 92 RBI. He had a slash line of .329/.389/.592 and an OPS+ of 149. That coupled with 7 DRS helped him have a 6.9 rWAR season. He was an All-Star and came in fourth in NL MVP voting.

For the Rockies, they like catchers being versatile but really, they like as many versatile players as they can and Marte is that. In the last three years, he has played center field (171 games) and second base (144 games) the most but he has played 13 games at shortstop in the last three years after playing 262 games at shortstop in the previous four seasons.

Marte is entering the last guaranteed year of a five-year deal and in 2022, he is slated to make $8.4 million. After that, there are two team options for $8 and $10 million for each of the next two seasons so the Rockies could have some controllability with him.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 30: David Peralta #6 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gestures to the crowd after hitting an RBI single against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on April 30, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta is another fit for the Colorado Rockies

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta could be another fit for the Colorado Rockies since they need an outfielder.

Peralta, 34, didn’t hit for much power but he still had a decent season. He played in 150 games and he hit .259/.325/.402 with 30 doubles, eight triples, eight homers, 63 RBI, a 96 OPS+, and a 1.1 WAR.

In 2020, he played in 54 games and he hit .300 with an OPS of .773 and an OPS+ of 108. In 2019, he was injured for part of the season (99 games) but he still hit .275 with an OPS of .804 and an OPS+ of 106. Despite only playing in 99 games, he still won a Gold Glove award for his play in left field (7 DRS).

In 2018, he won a Silver Slugger Award after having 30 homers, 87 RBI, a slash line of .293/.352/.516 with an OPS+ of 127.

In his career at Coors Field, he has been a great hitter as, in 47 games, he has hit .337/.373/.543 with 12 doubles, three triples, six homers, and 29 RBI. His tOPS+ (his OPS+ compared to his career stats) is 126, which means he has been 26 percent better at Coors than in his career.

Next. 5 trade targets from the Cardinals for the Rockies. dark

Like Marte, Peralta is entering the final year of free agency but there are not any team options on him so he would be much cheaper to acquire.

Our trade target series for the Colorado Rockies continues with the Los Angeles Dodgers up next.

Home / Colorado Rockies Rumors

3 trade targets from the Arizona Diamondbacks for the Colorado Rockies

Neither the Arizona Diamondbacks nor the Colorado Rockies are very good teams

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Daulton Varsho would be a fit with the Colorado Rockies

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Ketel Marte could be traded and the Colorado Rockies are a fit

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta is another fit for the Colorado Rockies

Schedule