Waiver Wire: Should the Rockies target Jared Walsh

While the Colorado Rockies have placed their full attention on the MLB Trade Deadline which is just four days away, the team has to look at every obstacle possible to make this team competitive in 2024.

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Angels surprised the baseball world by announcing they were designating former All-Star first baseman Jared Walsh for assignment.

Before, Walsh showed a lot of potential as a first baseman for the Halos. In 2021, he had an impressive season with a .277/.340/.509 slash line, 29 home runs, 98 RBI's, and 34 doubles. He first gained attention in 2020 when he ended the season with a .293 batting average, hitting a total of nine home runs and 26 RBI's in a shortened 60-game season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why claim Walsh?

The Rockies are in a position where they need to improve this team in any way possible. Despite entering the MLB trade deadline as sellers, the Rockies still have an opportunity to get better this year and furthermore by utilizing the trade deadline and the waiver wire.

It's more than certain that CJ Cron is counting down his days as a member of the Rockies as he has been the most intriguing player they have to offer at the deadline. With that being said, the Rockies will be without a first baseman and Walsh could be a perfect fit at the position for Colorado if they make a claim on him.

At first base, the Rockies have a few options. The first one makes the most sense as they could play Nolan Jones. But due to the ongoing rumor that Randal Grichuk will be traded as well, the Rockies will have another hole to fill in the lineup and Jones could find a new position as the starting right fielder for the Rockies.

In right field this year, Jones has been fantastic for Colorado as he has played a total of 212 innings in right field and has a fielding percentage of .977. Originally a third baseman, his arm strength has been another impressive part of his development as he has thrown the ball at 99.4 MPH from the outfield.

If the Rockies elected to pass on Walsh the team could elect to utilize Elehuris Montero at first base. Unfortunately, since the infamous Nolan Arenado trade that sent Montero to Colorado in 2021, he has underperformed with the Rockies and has bounced back and forth from AAA to the MLB. Montero is hitting .200 this season with only three home runs and 15 RBI's.

The decision to claim Walsh off waivers makes all the sense in the world for Colorado. Not only will they have a former All-Star starting at first base, the team will also have club control over him until 2026.

Partially of why Walsh has regressed this year could be because of neurological issues he was dealing with at the beginning of the year. Regardless, the opportunity to grab him should be a must in Colorado as he is still a reliable clutch power hitter and could make a great addition to this roster plus the perfect substitute for Cron.