MLB Trade Rumors: Randal Grichuk gaining interest from New York Yankees

Just after a 2-1 series victory over the New York Yankee's, the Rockies have seemed to gain interest from New York in veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk.

Before the All-Star break, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reported that the Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt has garnered interest in trading some of their relief pitchers.

Saunders also reported that teams have reached out to the Rockies regarding CJ Cron, Jurickson Profar, and Grichuk.

Grichuk, 31, is in his 10th big league year and is arguably having the best year of his career as the right-handed hitter is slashing .300/.354/.473. with 22 RBI's.

Why it makes sense to move on

The Rockies are currently on pace to have the worst season in franchise history this year as they are on pace to lose 100 games. In the 30 years of the Rockies existence, the team came very close in 2012 to losing 100 games as they finished the year in last place with a record of 64-98.

With the Rockies likely to fall out of playoff contention by the end of August, the smart move for the team is to be sellers at the deadline and move on from every impending free agent that they don't expect to bring back.

Traditionally, the Rockies have failed to be sellers at the deadline and they are suffering for it right now as they will look to finish in last place for the second straight year and have not reached the playoffs since 2018. They will also look to finish with a losing record again for the fifth straight year as well.

Moving on from Grichuk should be a no-brainer for the Rockies if the Yankees are serious about making an offer for the veteran. Grichuk is having a career year and the Yankees outfield is in dire need of help as last year's AL MVP Aaron Judge remains out and the team is not sure when he will return.

If the Rockies do send Grichuk to New York, the value for a trade could work in their favor as the Yankees might be willing to spend a little extra in order to have Grichuk on their roster for two months of the regular season. With the Rockies looking ahead to the future, a deal with New York makes the most sense as the team is likely to not resign Grichuk next year as Zac Veen is estimated to make his debut next year for the Rockies despite suffering a season-ending injury in the minor leagues this year.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report has ranked the Yankees' minor league system as 19th in baseball. While their top 10 players are mostly tier-two, it is still a talented group. In the event of a trade, it is likely that the Rockies would receive at least two of these tier-two players and possibly outfielder Everson Pereira. Pereira is hitting .308 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI's in AAA.

At the moment, the Yankees hold a record of 50-44 but are still two games away from securing the wild card. The general manager of the team, Brian Cashman, has expressed his interest in acquiring another hitter before the deadline. Even though the Yankees have a roster filled with power hitters, it is probable that they will opt for a contact hitter such as Grichuk.

Over the weekend, Cashman had the opportunity to observe Grichuk closely on Friday night. Grichuk performed well, hitting a home run in the sixth inning and going 2-2. However, Cashman's chance to observe Grichuk in person was cut short as he left the game early due to a mild groin injury.