Colorado Rockies: It’s time to let some players go

Baseball fans are counting down the days till the trade deadline on August 2. For most teams, this is a time of constant change–with players and prospects coming and going between teams on opposite ends of the competitive spectrum. But for the Colorado Rockies, it has generally been just another week in a long baseball schedule. That needs to change.

This deadline is new GM Bill Schmidt’s chance to define his era as different from his predecessors. Historically, the Rockies have stood pat and let the deadline come and go without so much as a second thought. It was agonizing for fans in the rare instances the team was competitive, but it has become inexcusable in the team’s consistent losing seasons–particularly with pending free agents like Jon Gray and Trevor Story.

Last year’s deadline was Schmidt’s first big test and to most Rockies fans, he failed. But there has been speculation that he did not truly have as much control of the decision-making process during his term as interim GM as he does now, and if that is the case, this is his chance to prove it. It’s time to let some players go.

The Rockies are not a competitive team right now. They’ve developed a bad habit of doing everything they can to stay as close to .500 as possible and have held onto players who can help them “win now” even when those wins mean nothing and arguably hurt the team in the long term as far as draft position is concerned.

The Colorado Rockies have two veteran relievers that should be traded

As hard as it has been for the Rockies to find good bullpen help, the team likely needs to trade Daniel Bard. He has had a fantastic season to cap a truly remarkable comeback story. He’s pitching to a 1.91 ERA with 21 saves and can still hit 100 MPH at age 37. Bard will be a free agent at the end of the season and his future is unknown.

Even if he re-signs with the Rockies, his age means he will likely not be around when the team returns to competitiveness, even by the most optimistic projections. The most Bard can do to help that future competitive team is to bring the team back a decent return in a trade. The same goes for Alex Colomé who will be a free agent at the end of the season and is arguably far less likely than Bard to resign if he’s not dealt.

José Iglesias is another player who needs to be traded. I was a little puzzled when he was first signed and to be honest, I’ve been impressed. He’s been a solid player and seems like a good guy, but he is not a part of the team’s future and he, like Bard and Colome, is a free agent at the end of the season.

He’s a veteran player who can provide solid defense with good bat-to-ball skills and would be a smart depth pickup for any team looking to make a playoff run. He won’t return a massive haul to the Rockies, but they can get something for him and they should pursue it.