Three relievers the Rockies will trade before the trade deadline

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With the second half of the season set to begin, the Rockies are seeing their season quickly come to an end as they are dead last in the National League with a record of 34-57 and 15.5 games back in the wild card. It would take a miracle for the Rockies to make the playoffs in 2023.

Even though the Rockies are having a disappointing year, there's still hope for fans. General Manager Bill Schmidt may give them a glimmer of hope for the future by the end of July if the team becomes sellers at the MLB trade deadline on Aug 1.

According to a report by Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, the Colorado Rockies are planning to trade some of their pitchers and are open to offers for their position players. The team has experienced a string of injuries among their starting pitchers, with Kyle Freeland being the latest member of the inured list after dislocating his shoulder in a game against the San Francisco Giants before the All-Star break. Although Freeland was not expected to be traded, the Rockies could potentially trade some of their other pitchers as their bullpen has been performing well this season. This move would allow the team to focus on developing young players for the future.

For that, I thought it was important to list down two relief pitchers who will be on new team's before the month ends.

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Pierce Johnson

Los Angeles Angels v Colorado Rockies / Dustin Bradford/GettyImages

Pierce Johnson likely makes the most sense for any pitcher on the Rockies staff to be moved as he recently was revoked from his role as the team's closer last month and is on an expiring deal and is unlikely to be resigned by the team during the offseason.

Before being removed, Johnson was doing very well as the Rockies closer, he was once 11-13 in save opportunities for the Rockies. However, due to having a 7.50 ERA and allowing some close ball games, Rockies manager Bud Black had to make a move at the position for the sake of the team.

Unfortunately for Johnson, his June struggles have not gone away as he is 1-3 in his last 15 games with a 6.92 ERA and has walked eight batters while allowing 16 hits. For Johnson, a change of scenery is probably needed. Before arriving to Colorado this year, Johnson had two great years in San Diego with the Padres. In 2021, he had a 3.22 ERA in 63 games pitched and gave up 47 hits and 21 runs.

Johnson is an experienced pitcher with a history of playing in the postseason. It's certain that any team aiming for the playoffs will be interested in acquiring him. The Rockies could potentially trade him for a player of equal value who hasn't lived up to expectations or wants a change of scenery. Alternatively, they could trade him for some promising prospects who are expected to be MLB-ready in the next one or two years.

Brad Hand

Colorado Rockies v San Francisco Giants / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

Brad Hand is another arm the Rockies will likely look to move on from as the 33-year-old lefty is another veteran pitcher on an expiring deal.

This year, Hand has not been able to find his groove with the Rockies as he currently has an ERA of 5.16. On the bright side, Hand has only allowed 14 walks on the year and has 35 strikeouts this year. Last year, he had a total of 38 strikeouts and will likley surpass that number before the years end.

Last season, Hand was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies which was a team that got red hot in the month of July and road that success to a World Series appearance against the Houston Astros. While the Phillies did not win World Series, Hand did his job well enough to keep the Phillies competitive last year. He had his moments where he was terrible but also had his moments where he was fantastic for the Fightin Phils.

His ERA last year was 2.80, while also going 5-7 in save opportunities, proving to be a man they could count on when needed. The reality is, Hand has the necessary post season experience any team could use and could contribute to any Major League bullpen effectively.

Brent Suter

San Francisco Giants v Colorado Rockies / Matthew Stockman/GettyImages

Currently on the Rockies 15 day injured list, Brent Suter might've been one of the biggest snubs in the All Star Game had he not been injured.

This year, Suter has been arguably the best pitcher on the Rockies staff and without a doubt the best arm in the bullpen. Suter recently was claimed on waivers by the Rockies this past offseason after spending seven years with the Milwaukee Brewers

This year, Suter has been lights out for Colorado as he is pitching with a 2.81 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched. Suter has also strucken out 33 batters already. In 2018, he had a career high of 84 strikeouts for the Brewers, who made it all the way to the NLCS and were eliminated in a seven game series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Suter is an experienced pitcher who could attract interest from teams looking for top prospects to bolster their bullpen before the deadline. As a valuable trade asset, Suter should be considered by any team looking to make a deal. Once he returns from the injured list, the Rockies should consider trading him.

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