3 Rockies players who could be traded before Opening Day
With many battles for roster spots this spring, we take a look at 3 Rockies players who could be on the way out the door before the year starts.
![2024 Colorado Rockies Spring Training](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_8640,h_4860,x_0,y_154/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/113/01hqyad7z5r2he83xm3p.jpg)
Spring training is a time that fans get super excited. We finally have baseball, we get to see our favorite players in uniform, taking the diamond and competing. Everyone is all in the same environment with baseball going on non-stop in Arizona. For diehard fans, being in spring training is the dream; you get to spend time really close to players that you don't experience at the major league stadiums. It also allows you the opportunity to see veterans like Kris Bryant, Kyle Freeland and Ryan McMahon at the same time you see young prospects like Adael Amador, Jordan Beck, Julio Carreras and Jaden Hill.
We all look forward to seeing these guys take the field, imagining what they will do for the Rockies both in 2024 as well as in their career. Unfortunately, for a majority of the players, their careers may take them elsewhere one way or another. Today we take a look at three players that could be on their way out of town before opening day 2024.
Alan Trejo
The Rockies have a lack of middle infield depth, so why would they trade away one of the suspected backups in the middle for 2024? Well, Trejo is a backup, but he just isn't that great. Trejo filled in quite a bit in 2023, playing 82 games, posting an OPS+ of just 63 with no power or base stealing ability. Trejo is fine minor league depth, but he should not be counted on as a backup. If something were to happen in the middle of the infield, the Rockies might be better off giving someone like Julio Carreras a shot at claiming an infield role.
Trejo isn't going to fetch much, if anything, in a trade, but that doesn't mean that you can't get some value out of him. The Rockies could send Trejo to a team looking to add some upper-level major league depth as a potential third our fourth middle infield option. Trejo doesn't have much value, but he might be able to fet you a lottery ticket like a 17- or 18-year-old prospect in the DSL or rookie ball (which is a risk the Rockies should be taking at this point).
Michael Toglia/Elehuris Montero
The Rockies spring training has been a pretty exciting one. We have seen some really good performances from a few specific players, including the battle between Michael Toglia and Elehuris Montero. Both of them are hitting the ball extremely hard and getting really good results.
The Rockies have a lot of talented corner infield/outfield prospects that are close to being ready to debut. Jordan Beck has had an outstanding spring and is knocking down the door to joining the team in Colorado. Hunter Goodman has proven that he can demolish Triple-A pitching after hitting 70 home runs combined between the last two years. Julio Carreras has flashed ability as a utility infielder, while Sean Bouchard is also in the mix for a corner outfield spot.
All of this contributes to the fact that the Rockies will be forced to send someone to the minor leagues to start the year. The Rockies won't be competitive in the next couple of years, so why not maximize the value that either Toglia or Montero will possess and send them to a contender looking for a potential middle of the order bat this year.
Toglia and Montero are both still young enough, with enough club control that they could fetch some decent prospect value for a team that has done a good job of developing its farm in recent years. I would love to see the Rockies target some high upside pitching with strikeout potential if they did this.
Jalen Beeks
While the last option (I guess it might have been two?) were a little more bold, this one is one that makes more sense. I am a firm believer in rebuilidng teams just patching together a bullpen and as soon as they possess some value, flipping them for whatever you can get. If you are a team that doesn't expect to contend, why do you really need a good bullpen?
If you are a team that is looking to contend in 2024, one of the things that you must have, is a solid bullpen. We see it time and time again, relievers get traded at the trade deadline for a king's ransom; it's because they become so valuable down the stretch and into the postseason. Why not try and capitlize on that early on in the year and trade Beeks before the year even starts? Perhaps a contender who have experienced some injuries (like maybe the Mariners), is interested in adding to their bullpen earlier than expected.
Another reason for the Rockies to trade Beeks, is that he is a free agent after this year and is scheduled to make $1.675M this year. Beeks struggled in 2023, was really good in 2022 and has had a solid spring so far and some teams might think that they can recapture that value. They might think that a one-year risk on a pitcher that was a very solid reliever in 2022, is a good risk to take. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rockies explore trading a reliever like Beeks before the year starts.
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