3 trade targets from the San Francisco Giants for the Colorado Rockies

San Francisco Giants reliever José Álvarez could help fill a needed role in the Colorado Rockies bullpen

San Francisco Giants reliever José Álvarez could help fill a needed role in the Colorado Rockies bullpen.

As we discussed yesterday with San Diego Padres reliever Tim Hill, the Rockies only used two left-handed relievers (with the exception of four innings from Zac Rosscup) in 2021: rookies Lucas Gilbreath and Ben Bowden.

There were times in the season where they went without any left-handed reliever.

Bowden had been a top prospect but had his MLB career delayed due to injury and the pandemic but Gilbreath, who was the better of the two in 2021, didn’t make an appearance above Advanced-A ball before making his MLB debut last May. He was also a starter in the minors, not a reliever.

Álvarez, 32, would be a left-handed bullpen veteran as he has pitched in parts of nine years in the majors. He pitched with the Giants for the first time in 2021 after pitching with the Angels, Phillies, and Tigers in the previous eight seasons and he had a great year. In 67 games, he had a 2.37 ERA (173 ERA+). He also had a FIP of 3.15, a 1.113 WHIP, and he averaged 2.6 walks and 5.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Since 2015, he has had an ERA+ of 109 or better and (with the exception of 2020), he has appeared in at least 64 games per season.

Since 2019, Alvarez’s groundball rate of 49.6 percent is 33rd-highest among relievers with at least 100 innings pitched. He is in the last year of a two-year deal with San Francisco.

Well, there it is. We have looked at all 29 MLB teams that the Colorado Rockies could trade with and we’ve looked at 154 players that the Colorado Rockies could (or should) trade for off other teams 40-man rosters.

Now, hopefully, the lockout can end soon so the Rockies will have some time to make moves before the winter gives way to spring.