3 ways Rockies could screw up the MLB trade deadline

Yesterday, the Rockies made some noise with the MLB trade deadline approaching as they traded away relief pitcher Pierce Johnson to the Atlanta Braves.

This was certainly a move the Rockies needed to make as Johnson has regressed significantly over the last two months after being removed as the team's closer in early June. However, with the trade deadline still going on, the Rockies need to continue this momentum and keep selling before the deadline hits in seven days.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Rockies will look to be sellers at the deadline as they should be since they are last in the National League with a record of 40-60, sitting 13.5 games back in the wild-card race.

Last year, the Rockies were in last place in the NL West before the deadline and had little chance of making the playoffs. They should have acted as sellers and traded away some of their veteran players to bring in more youthful talent. However, the team failed to take advantage of this opportunity.

Looking ahead, I decided to look into a few ways the Rockies could very well screw up this years trade deadline if they let history repeat.

1. Not trading Brent Suter

Brent Suter, 32, might be one of the best trade chips the Rockies have this year as he recently signed a one-year $3 million contract this past offseason. Since then, he has been lights out for the Rockies and one of the best relievers in all of baseball.

Given his age and the fact that he is on a one year deal, it is likely Suter will not return to the Colorado bullpen next year due to the team's lack of success and the fact that he has not won a World Series in his career. At this stage in his career, he could be looking to go chasing for a ring to help solidify his career.

Suter began his MLB career in 2016 with the Milwaukee Brewers and was a dominant pitcher for the Brew Crew before joining the Rockies. Right now, Suter is pitching with a 2.62 ERA, 37 strikeouts, 4-0 record in 44.2 innings pitched.

With Suter on the trade block and his recent oblique injury, teams could very well try to lowball the Rockies on trade proposals as he will likely be a rental piece for any team. No matter what, the Rockies need to pull the trigger on Suter as he could bring in quality young relievers in a deal that should include more than what they received for Johnson yesterday.

2. Keeping CJ Cron

The Rockies must not let history repeat itself by failing to trade CJ Cron like they did at last year's deadline. Cron, 33, was almost untradeable earlier in the season as he was dealing with a back spasms injury that kept pushing his timeline further back.

Since his return to the lineup in late June, Cron has been arguably the hottest hitter in the Colorado lineup. Over the last 15 games, Cron's slash line sits at .321/.357/.642 with 10 RBI's and five home runs. The time is now to trade Cron.

It seems that Cron will become a free agent soon, and the Rockies may not be interested in keeping him on the team. This is because they are currently focused on getting younger and transitioning away from veteran players. As for who will take over as the Rockies' first baseman, there are a few possibilities. However, it's possible that Nolan Jones could emerge as the team's first baseman of the future.

With being in last place this year, the Rockies need to acquire depth and based off of yesterday's Johnson trade, the Rockies could see an influx of young prospects in the coming future.