Finding the Colorado Rockies a trade deadline partner

The Colorado Rockies are 43-52, on the outside looking in at a Wild Card spot. As fans, we did not expect a playoff berth, though the club has kept things within striking distance if they were to have a hot finish to the summer.

For this reason, bigger chips like the team’s lone All-Star C.J. Cron and shutdown closer Daniel Bard are all but sure to be kept out of serious trade discussions with Cron under team control for one more year and rumors of a Bard extension in the air.

Taking a step down, Alex Colomé, who has turned in a very respectable summer, with a 1.67 ERA since May 11th (2.23 FIP), could be a popular trade target.

The epitome of stability at shortstop, José Iglesias and his .340 OBP will likely be coveted.

Finally, surprise rotation cog Chad Kuhl, signed by the Colorado Rockies to fill their fifth rotation spot, could garner interest for teams in need of rotation depth or a potential weapon out of the pen.

Knowing the Colorado Rockies and their sometimes misplaced desire to push for a competitive record, it’s unlikely they have a sale and ship out Alex Colomé, Jose Iglesias, and Chad Kuhl.

However, it seems likely one of those players will be dealt and a second is not an unreasonable possibility, especially if they slip back to 10 games or more back of the Wild Card.

It seems there is one team that truly makes sense on multiple fronts: the Chicago White Sox. The New York Yankees are also a team to consider.

The checkboxes here are a need in the middle of the diamond (second baseman/shortstop) and general pitching needs.

The White Sox are tied for last in wRC+ by second baseman as Leury Garcia has had an abysmal season and Josh Harrison has been called upon at third base a lot with Yoan Moncada’s struggles. The White Sox pitching has been above average but their rotation has had ups and downs with injuries to Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito.

Thus, Iglesias would be a good fit and replacement for Leury Garcia and Chad Kuhl could provide Chicago with a versatile pitcher, capable of giving them starts but also multiple innings from the bullpen. With how good his slider has been (seventh in run value), Kuhl has to appeal to every team.

With the White Sox farm system ranking near the bottom of MLB, they’ll be sure to limit costs as a buyer at this year’s trade deadline.

The Yankees pitching staff has been excellent, but seems to be teetering on the edge with oft-injured Luis Severino handling a big workload, Nestor Cortes already setting a new career-high mark for innings, and now bullpen ace Michael King out for the season.

While they don’t have a true need on the pitching staff, some security in the form of Kuhl or Colomé would be a welcome addition. On the other side, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa has not been what the Yankees had hoped when they acquired him.

Kiner-Falefa has been one of the worst shortstop defenders in the league and is below average offensively. He profiles better as a utility man, not a starting shortstop.

Adding Kuhl/Colome and Iglesias represents a cheap package to bolster the team for a playoff run, especially if they miss out on a big fish like Luis Castillo. With Yankees top prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe pushing towards the big leagues, a splash addition at shortstop would not make sense.

The given with any trade surrounding this group of players is that the Rockies are not getting a high-end prospect in return. However, farm system depth is key when looking to get over the top and this is a great chance for the Colorado Rockies to tie a ribbon on the abundance of young players they already have.

Beyond those two clubs, there are others who might consider adding one of Colorado’s rental pieces.

The Atlanta Braves are a team that may consider Iglesias with Ozzie Albies potentially out until close to the playoffs.

On the pitching side, the Cardinals rotation is one of the worst in baseball with a 3.7 combined fWAR (26th in MLB). Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas have been a solid punch at the top of the rotation. However, with Jack Flaherty’s status wholly uncertain, the Cardinals need depth.

A reunion between Colomé and the Twins isn’t out of the question. The Twins’ bullpen hasn’t been bad, pitching to a 3.90 ERA, but their depth is not up to par for a division-leading team and they could use to add a new late-inning option.

Also, the Toronto Blue Jays will certainly add bullpen help as the depth of their pen is also precarious.