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Colorado Rockies podcast: How the Brewers and Juan Soto could make or break them

By Noah Yingling|
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 18: National League All-Star Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals poses with the 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby trophy after winning the event at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 18: National League All-Star Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals poses with the 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby trophy after winning the event at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Since he turned down a 15-year deal for $440 million, Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto has been in the news. The Nationals could look to trade him before this trade deadline to maximize their return on him. The Colorado Rockies also start the unofficial second half of the season on Friday when they take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a four-game series in Milwaukee.

Where the Nationals trade Soto (if at all) and the Rockies-Brewers series could determine whether or not the Rockies largely stand pat, sell, or (if they play really well in the next week and a half) be buyers.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Juan Soto could seal the fate of the 2022 Colorado Rockies

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, there are seven teams who have given the Nationals preliminary offers for Soto. Five are in the National League and three of them are in the National League West: the Giants, the Padres, and (shocker of all shocks) the Dodgers.

If they decide to trade Soto to one of the NL West teams (especially the Giants, who are on the outside looking in for the playoffs right now, half a game out of the third Wild Card spot), the Rockies season will be over, for all intents and purposes.

If the Brewers sweep them in Milwaukee, the same can also be said. But if the Rockies can split the four-game series, win three of four, or sweep the Brewers, then the Rockies could be back in business. It would definitely be easier said than done, though.

The Rockies were swept in Milwaukee last year. They didn’t face them in 2020 but from 2017 through 2019, they went 6-5 in Milwaukee. But this year, they will have to face reigning NL Cy Young Award Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff (who came in fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting last year).

If the Rockies go 9-2 entering August 2 (the trade deadline), they would be back at .500, which GM Bill Schmidt has cited as a big goal. They will have to do that against three teams that are at or above .500 entering the break.

On our most recent episode of the Rox Pile Rockies Report, we talk about all of this as well as a bit on what the Rockies did in the Draft and what the rest of the schedule looks like.

You can check it out below or download it wherever you download your podcasts.

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