3 trade targets from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the Colorado Rockies

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 14: Dustin May #85 and Austin Barnes #15 of the Los Angeles Dodgers react to a Trevor Story #27 of the Colorado Rockies single, to score Yonathan Daza #2, to trail 3-1, during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Things have gone down the drain a lot for the Colorado Rockies since they faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 163 in 2018. The Dodgers got to the World Series in 2018 and they lost in five games to the eventual World Series Champion Washington Nationals in 2019. But the Dodgers finally got their elusive World Series title in 2020. They made it to the NLCS in 2021.

However, the Rockies’ window of contention slammed shut way earlier than it should have due to the lack of secondary talent, the lack of development of many players at the MLB level, and being gunshy to make trades or free agent signings after many bad signings in the two previous offseasons.

In fact, Rockies GM Jeff Bridich being gunshy about making further moves cost the Rockies the NL West title in 2018, a chance to contend in 2019, and cost them their third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Now that the Colorado Rockies have a new GM in Bill Schmidt, who believes that, despite going 74-87 in 2021, the Rockies just “need more pieces” to be a playoff-contending team and he has said that they will look at both the free agent and trade market this offseason.

But the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies are unlikely to be trade partners.

As we mentioned yesterday, the Colorado Rockies are not likely to be a great trade partner with anyone in the NL West, let alone the Los Angeles Dodgers.

That’s not to say that the Rockies and Dodgers couldn’t make a trade involving some major leaguers. In fact, in 1997, the Dodgers traded Pedro Astacio to Colorado for former All-Star Eric Young, Sr.

If we didn’t consider the division or that the Dodgers are, arguably, the best team in the NL, the Rockies should really target their entire lineup. Max Muncy would be great in the Rockies lineup. But we are dealing with reality (or at least plausibility).

Here are three trade targets from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 40-man roster that the Colorado Rockies should further examine.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 25: Zach McKinstry #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out while playing the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on July 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Zach McKinstry could be a bench option for the Colorado Rockies

Back in October, when we chose just one trade target for the Colorado Rockies from each team, we chose Zach McKinstry from the Los Angeles Dodgers for a few reasons.

Given the depth that the Los Angeles Dodgers have, McKinstry, 26, might not make their team but he could be a versatile bench option for the Colorado Rockies.

McKinstry has played in 64 games at the big league level but he hasn’t had much success (78 OPS+) but even with that, he would be an improvement at the plate over some Rockies. But if his minor league level offensive numbers are any indication, he could be much better.

In 40 games in Triple-A in 2021, he hit .272/.368/.510 with seven homers and 21 RBI.

In 2019 between Double-A and Triple-A, he played in 121 games and he hit .300/.366/.516 with 19 homers and 78 RBI.

The Rockies may also be interested in McKinstry because of his versatility. The Rockies have been known to like their versatile players and in his 64 games in the majors alone, he has played in at least a dozen games at second base, third base, left field, and right field. In the minors, he actually played the most amount games at shortstop but with Corey Seager and Trea Turner with the team in 2021, McKinstry was not going to play there.

He has less than a year of MLB service time so the Rockies would have a lot of control.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 25: Matt Beaty #45 of the Los Angeles Dodgers while playing the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on July 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Matt Beaty could provide the Colorado Rockies with a power bench bat

Matt Beaty is much more likely to make the bench for the Los Angeles Dodgers than Zach McKinstry but that doesn’t mean that he’s a lock to make the team. He would be one of, if not, the best bats on the bench for the Colorado Rockies.

Beaty, 28, played in 120 games at the MLB level (45 starts) and he hit .270/.363/.402 with seven homers, 40 RBI, and an OPS+ of 107. He struggled in 2020 (72 OPS+) but he had numbers similar to what he had in 2021 in 2019.

He played in 99 games (57 starts), Beaty hit .265/.317/.458 with 19 doubles, nine homers, and 46 RBI. He had an OPS+ of 101.

Like McKinstry, Beaty is versatile so having him on the bench could be someone that the Rockies could look further into. He has played in at least a dozen games at the MLB level at first base, third base, left field, and right field. In the minors, he also had more than two dozen games at second base.

Beaty is just shy of being arbitration-eligible so the Rockies could have three or four years of control with him, depending on whether or not the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) reduces the time to free agency from six seasons down to five or not.

DENVER, COLORADO – SEPTEMBER 23: Austin Barnes #15 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a RBI single against the Colorado Rockies in the second inning at Coors Field on September 23, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes could be a versatile catcher for the Colorado Rockies

Austin Barnes has been a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers for parts of the last seven seasons in the majors and he could be a fit for the Colorado Rockies.

Barnes, 32, played in 77 games (52 starts) in 2021 and he hit .215/.299/.345 with an OPS+ of 74. In 2020, he played in 29 games (27 starts) and Barnes hit .244/.353/.314 with one homer and nine RBI. He had an OPS+ of 84, which was his best since he had an OPS+ of 138 in 102 games in 2017.

His OPS+ since 2018 of 73, which is not great. However, Dom Nuñez’s OPS+ in 2021? 76. Tony Wolters’ OPS+ with the Rockies? 61. But, defensively, he is better than those two as he has 26 DRS behind the plate since 2018 and he has 10 Runs Extra Strikes (which measures pitch framing) since 2018.

Like Wolters, Barnes can play other positions too. Between the majors and minors, he has played over two dozen games at third base and more than 200 games at second base.

Barnes is entering the final season of his two-year contract before he hits free agency. He is going to make $2.65 million with incentives that could increase his salary by another $200,000.

Next up on our Colorado Rockies trade target list is our penultimate team: the San Diego Padres.

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But the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies are unlikely to be trade partners.

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Zach McKinstry could be a bench option for the Colorado Rockies

Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Matt Beaty could provide the Colorado Rockies with a power bench bat

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes could be a versatile catcher for the Colorado Rockies

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