4 prospects the Rockies should not trade

Cole Carrigg

Carrigg is one of the most recent prospects to join the Rockies' list, selected 65th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, out of San Diego State.

Carrigg, like Calaz, wasted no time showing his potential, slashing .350/.408/.600 between rookie ball and Single-A Fresno. He also hit five home runs and stole 13 bases, flashing his power/speed combination.

Carrigg is a plus defender and has a lot of versatility, spending time in center field (his natural college position), shortstop, and catcher. Playing those three positions at a solid level shows you how athletic this kid is. MLBPipeline.com gives him some pretty impressive grades with a 50-grade hit tool, 60-grade run and 70-grade arm.

A plus runner who can steal a base, Carrigg has shown ability at three up-the-middle positions. He’s natural in center field and has shown he can play a solid shortstop as well. But many scouts agree his best value might come behind the plate as a switch-hitting backstop with athleticism and a plus-plus arm, which was on display with throws 100 mph and harder from shortstop and the outfield at the Draft Combine. He played the outfield exclusively for San Diego State in 2023 but saw time at all three positions during his pro debut with the Rockies.

The Rockies will have a tough decision with Carrigg as he moves through the minor leagues, but make no mistake, Carrigg's bat will carry him. He has the potential to be a .300 hitter with 15+ home run pop and 20+ stolen bases. For someone with as much defensive versatility and upside on the offensive side, Carrigg should be a fixture in the Rockies for years to come.

For a Rockies team seriously lacking pitching, these two offer a lot of upside and should be off limits

Chase Dollander

The story of this whole offseason and, really, the Rockies' franchise in general, dating all the way back to the early 2000s and the Matt Holliday era, is a lack of pitching. The Rockies have struggled to develop pitching, and it is nearly impossible to attract free agents to sign here knowing how hitter-friendly the environment is. That's why it makes it even more important to keep your young pitching when you find a potential ace.

A potential ace is what the Rockies were able to get when they drafted Chase Dollander with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft. Dollander was one of the top prospects coming into the 2023 draft, with some projecting him as high as the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick. He was widely seen as the best arm available in the draft. After some struggles with command led to a walk rate that doubled his 2022 number, he was the third pitcher taken off the board.

Dollander's devastating arsenal begins with a 95-97 mph fastball that peaks at 99 and produces elite swing-and-miss rates with its combination of velocity and carry. His best secondary pitch is a tight slider that parks in the mid-80s and reaches 91 mph, and it can be a well-above-average offering with sweep at its best. He also has a bigger mid-70s curveball and a fading upper-80s changeup, both of which can be solid pitches.

Dollander has the pitch-mix of a future ace, with MLB Pipeline stating he "continued to display frontline starter stuff" in 2023, with an elite fastball and a very solid slider. He also possesses a curveball and changeup that are reported to be at least average offerings.

Dollander should make his major league debut in 2024 and has the potential to move relatively quickly. He has the upside of an ace for a team that has desperately lacked a true ace for a long time. A lot was invested into Dollander, and the Rockies would be wise to keep him for as long as possible and reap those rewards.

Sean Sullivan

Another college pitcher that is new to the Rockies prospect ranks is Sean Sullivan. The Rockies went pitching heavy in the 2023 draft, selecting Sullivan one round after drafting Dollander,taking the Wake Forest lefty 46th overall.

Sullivan is a fastball-heavy pitcher, throwing it over 70% of the time in college, but it's a good one. He doesn't possess elite velocity, hovering around the 88-92 mph range, but was among the best in all of college baseball in K/BB ratio and whiff rate.

He has ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in K/BB ratio and whiff rate despite relying almost solely on a fastball that parks around 90 mph...peaks at 95, and hitters know it is coming because he throws it nearly three-quarters of the time. But they still can't touch it because he uses his 6-foot-4 frame to deliver it from a low release height and wide angle that produce tremendous carry up in the strike zone.

There are some reliever concerns with Sullivan, but those are mainly because of his low three-quarter arm slot. He has been able to control the zone and should be able to continue that into his major league career. He started off 2023 well, with 10 strikeouts and one walk in just four innings. Sullivan has the potential to be a really good mid-rotation starter behind Dollander, and the Rockies need to see his development through. A rotation of Dollander, Sullivan, Freeland and a few other high upside arms is fun to dream on.