The top 5 best trades in Colorado Rockies history

Dante Bichette traded to the Colorado Rockies for Kevin Reimer

This was the second trade in Colorado Rockies franchise history and the first involving a major leaguer. This also happened before the team even played a game, as the trade happened on November 17, 1992.

This was also the date of the expansion draft and the trade came right after the draft. The Rockies traded outfielder Kevin Reimer (who they selected from Texas in the expansion draft) for outfielder Dante Bichette.

Bichette had spent parts of five seasons in the majors prior to joining the Rockies but he had been a below-average MLB player but while with the Rockies, he flourished.

He spent 10 seasons with the Rockies and with the team, he averaged 29 homers and 118 RBI per season with a slash line of .316/.352/.540 with an OPS+ of 112.

His best season came as part of the 1995 Rockies, which made it to the playoffs. That was also the first season where the Rockies played at Coors Field at the corner of 20th and Blake. That’s why Bichette and the other Rockies sluggers became known as “The Blake Street Bombers.”

He led the NL in homers (40) in the strike-shortened year and led the majors in RBI (128). He also led the majors in hits (197) and hit .340/.364/.620 with an OPS+ of 130. He was an All-Star, won a Silver Slugger Award, and came in second in NL MVP voting.

Reimer played one more season in the majors with Milwaukee so that panned out well for the Rockies.

Carlos González and Huston Street to the Colorado Rockies for Matt Holliday

Matt Holliday was a fan favorite for the Colorado Rockies but the team thought that they wouldn’t be able to extend him before free agency so they traded him with one year remaining before free agency to the Oakland A’s.

In return, the Rockies got MLB-ready outfielder Carlos González, closer Huston Street, and pitcher Greg Smith. Smith was a decent starter for the A’s (99 ERA+ in 32 starts in 2008 for Oakland) but he didn’t pan out for the Rockies. However, CarGo and Street were excellent.

Street had the most MLB experience before coming to the Rockies (four seasons) but he spent three more with the Rockies as their closer. He was a key figure for their 2009 playoff team as he had a 3.06 ERA in 64 appearances with 35 saves, an ERA+ of 154, a 2.93 FIP, and a 0.908 WHIP.

Overall with the Rockies, he had a 3.50 ERA, 84 saves, a 133 ERA+, a 3.39 FIP, and a 1.058 WHIP.

González spent parts of 10 seasons with the Rockies from 2009 through 2018. He made his MLB debut with Oakland in 2008 and played in 85 games. He only played in 89 games for the 2009 Rockies but he was excellent throughout most of the rest of his career with the Rockies.

In his 10 seasons with the Rockies, CarGo hit .290/.349/.516 with an OPS+ of 116. He was an All-Star three times, won three Gold Glove Awards, two Silver Slugger Awards, and he won the 2010 NL batting title when he hit .336.

2010 was his best season for the team as he led the NL in both average and hits (197). He wasn’t an All-Star but he won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award that year. His 5.9 rWAR was 6th among NL players and he came in 3rd in NL MVP voting.

As for Holliday, the A’s traded him to St. Louis before the trade deadline in 2009. They got three prospects from the Cardinals and all three were duds.

Jorge De La Rosa traded to the Colorado Rockies from the Kansas City Royals

Jorge De La Rosa had spent parts of four seasons in the majors (primarily as a reliever) with the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals before the Colorado Rockies acquired him for reliever Ramón Ramírez in 2008.

De La Rosa was actually acquired as a player to be named later in late April after the Rockies shipped Ramírez to Kansas City in March.

The Rockies decided to make him a starter and he became, arguably, the best starter in franchise history.

In parts of nine seasons as a Rockie, he went 86-61 with a 4.35 ERA in 209 games (200 starts) with a 105 ERA+ and a 4.24 FIP.

Among Rockies pitchers all-time, he’s the leader in wins (86), strikeouts (985), second in innings pitched and games started, third in WAR, fifth in WHIP, and sixth in ERA.

Germán Márquez traded to the Colorado Rockies from the Tampa Bay Rays

The Colorado Rockies acquired Germán Márquez from the Tampa Bay Rays in January 2016. He made his MLB debut with the Rockies later in the 2016 season.

Since, he has become the ace of the Colorado Rockies. Through 2021, he has spent parts of six seasons in the majors. He has a record of 54-41 with a 4.28 ERA (115 ERA+), a 3.85 FIP, and a 1.27 WHIP. He was an All-Star in 2021 and he has a career 15.4 rWAR. That WAR is already tied for fourth among Rockies pitchers and he is fifth in ERA, sixth in wins, third in strikeouts, first in WHIP, and first in BB/9.

He is contracted to play at least two more seasons with the Rockies after 2021 and there’s a team option for 2024, so he could get better in each of the categories.