Although there is still more than a week until MLB’s trade deadline, the Colorado Rockies find themselves pinned down in the trade landscape.
Colorado’s 55-41 record has them in the thick of the postseason hunt as the No. 1 Wild Card team in the NL, but as the schedule begins to thin with the playoffs approaching, teams are in hot pursuit to upgrade deficiencies, the Rockies included.
Colorado’s name has been thrown around in trade rumors with just about every other team in the league. The Rockies are reportedly looking for controllable starting pitching and bullpen help, but so is every contender.
Pitching is the Rockies’ Achilles heel, and they need help in that department immediately. The club’s pitching is diminishing as the season progresses. Outside of the month of May, the Rockies staff have witnessed alarming spikes in ERA and opponents’ batting average collectively.
Here’s a quick look at their month-to-month ERA and BAA.
April: 4.58/.253
May: 3.91/.242
June: 5.05/.273
July: 5.30/ .281
The Rockies have been at a standstill for the opening week of the trade frenzy and now find themselves locked in an awkward position. Teams like the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals have all made moves to bolster their rosters.
With other teams making upgrades, the Rockies’ options have narrowed and asking prices have skyrocketed, leaving the club in a tight position.
Colorado put themselves in this spot. Truth be told, nobody expected the Rockies to be power players for the postseason this year. Colorado has overachieved to a certain extent, and now they need to produce to keep this season on track, but it will come at a cost.
For years, Rockies ownership has been labeled as cheap and not wanting to win. This past offseason, the franchise took a step forward in eliminating that stereotype by singing Ian Desmond, Greg Holland and Mike Dunn to lucrative contracts, setting a new mark for the franchise’s payroll.
Those acquisitions, in addition to stellar play from the organization’s pool of young talent, have the team in prime position to make the postseason for the first time since 2009. Now, it’s time for them to step up to the plate with the rest of the league.
Already, the Rockies has seen Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle, Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle go off the board, narrowing Colorado’s options at their biggest need.
With big names already traded elsewhere, a high price tag has been placed on impactful pitching. Jeff Bridich and ownership will have to decide if it’s worth paying big to fortify the squad.
Currently in a position to make the playoffs, and with one of the top farm systems in the sport, it is essential for Colorado to make a move to keep pace with the rest of the National League.
The Rockies are faced with the dilemma of deciding to go all-in this season, or sit back and take their chances. While they currently have a lead in the Wild Card standings, that alone will not carry them to the postseason.
There are many defining moments for a club throughout a season, and this trade deadline will be one for the 2017 Rockies. The time has come for Colorado to take a step forward this season, and now it’s up to them to pull the trigger.