4 prospects the Rockies should not trade

The Rockies are in the midst of a rebuild, and you don't expect rebuilding teams to trade prospects, usually they are trying to acquire them. There comes a time to be aggressive and move those prospects for some proven players. The Rockies are not at that stage yet, and are probably still at least a year or two away.

The Rockies are an interesting team and could look to become competitive and fight for one of the Wild Card spots sooner rather than later. If the Rockies decide to become aggressive within the next two years, these are four prospects that they should look to keep and build around.

These two bats will be cornerstones in the Rockies offense

Robert Calaz

The Rockies just signed Calaz in January this year to a $1.7 million deal. The 18-year old is listed at 6'2" and 202 pounds, already a physically mature kid. MLB Pipeline had him as the No. 24 international prospect this last year and gave him 55-grade power, stating, "The teen has the potential to have plus raw power and be a plus runner."

If there is one player in the Rockies prospect ranks that has the ability to be a superstar, Calaz might be the most likely name.

Calaz wasted no time making his impact felt in the Dominican Summer League, slashing .325/.423/.561 with seven home runs and six stolen bases in only 43 games. Maybe even more impressive were the exit velocities he posted, with some reports stating he hit the ball as hard as 114 mph. That is insane for an 18-year-old.

With Calaz's size, he profiles best as a corner outfielder, especially with Gold Glover Brenton Doyle patrolling centerfield for the foreseeable future. Calaz has the potential to be an impact bat for a long time in Colorado. With his performance, albeit in a small sample size, he is going to shoot up prospect rankings, and another solid season could move him into the top 100 prospects in all of baseball.

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.

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.