3 left-handed outfielders the Rockies should target

With the Rockies in a rebuild, possessing a plethora of outfield talent, you wouldn't think that it would be wise for them to target short term rental bats. With Nolan Jones, Brenton Doyle, Sean Bouchard, Hunter Goodman paired with vets Kris Bryant (who should play first base a majority of the time) and Charlie Blackmon returning for what should be his final year (the primary DH), it seems like they might benefit from giving some of their younger players an extended look.

With only those four outfielders and no other top prospects looking close to the major league level, it could benefit the Rockies to look for a short-term bat, to help bridge that gap from the start of the season to at least the trade deadline (where the Rockies could look at flipping the rental for prospects). The Rockies would essentially be investing a financially right now, in hopes that they can acquire a solid prospect that can make this team better long term (they did this with Brad Hand last year).

The Rockies have a number of decent, right-handed hitting outfielders, and a report from Thomas Harding of MLB.com states that the Rockies will look to add an outfielder, preferably one that can rotate between all three spots while hitting from the left side of the plate; that is a pretty limited list of players. They could explore a veteran option like Travis Jankowski, who is coming off a solid season with the defending World Series Champion, Texas Rangers. I opted to forego the whole centerfield option with most of my options, as Brenton Doyle is a Gold Glove level defender, and needs to be given 150+ games in hopes he can become a solid hitter. I opted for higher upside corner outfielders here.

Eddie Rosario

With Meadows and the final outfielder, who we will talk about on the next slide, offering high ceilings and very low floors, Rosario offers the highest floor, but probably the lowest ceiling (though he has been a solid hitter). From 2017 through 2023, Rosario has posted a wRC+ above 100 in every season except for 2022, where he only played in 80 games.

Rosario had a solid 2023 season slashing .255/.305/.450 with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs, good for a 100 wRC+ and 1.4 fWAR. Rosario has historically not been a very good defender, but surprisingly got better in his age 32 season, so while the fit might be tough, the Rockies could make it work to get his bat in the lineup. Being next to Nolan Jones and Gold Glover Brenton Doyle could help cover up some of his defense.

Rosario is going to be 32 years old for a majority of the 2024 season, bringing a veteran presence. He also has a lot of playoff experience, which could help some of the younger guys in the bigger moments throughout the year.

The hitter market has been pretty weak, but after Teoscar Hernandez got a one-year deal worth $23.5 million, it may be on the way back up. Spotrac has Rosario's market value at two years and $12.9 million. This is a fairly low risk deal and if Rosario becomes that 105-110 wRC+ bat in Coors, he either becomes a valuable bat for a team lacking some firepower for a couple of years while your prospects develop, or he becomes a valuable bat at the trade deadline.

Jesse Winker

The case of Jesse Winker is a very weird one. From the time he debuted in 2017 through the 2021 seasons, he was one of the best hitters in baseball. Over that span, he didn't post a wRC+ below 111, and posted one as high as 148. His 148 wRC+ season came in 2021, when he slashed .305/.394/.556 with 24 home runs and really solid walk (10.9%) rates and strikeout (15.5%) rates.

He was then traded to Seattle and really struggled to replicate the power numbers but maintaing his elite walk rates. He slashed .219/.344/.344, still good for an above average wRC+ at 108, but only hitting 14 home runs. After that season, he was traded to Milwaukee for Kolten Wong. With Milwaukee in 2023, he slashed .199/.320/.247, with just one home run, and a 65 wRC+.

Winker has absolutely fallen off a cliff. There are some concerns about his clubhouse presence (this was a big part of why the Mariners traded him). If the Rockies can work with Winker on his work ethic and give him a chance to be a fourth outfielder, there is the potential for an elite bat there. He did well in the hitter friendly park in Cincinnati, and moving to another hitter friendly park in Coors field could be a great rebound situation. Winker isn't going to command much money, maybe even a non-roster spot that could force the Rockies hand and become a solid depth outfielder.