With the Major League Baseball trade deadline just a week away, Colorado Rockies fans remain eager to see if the team’s longstanding reluctance to part with their productive talent will be at all challenged. Considering the historical pace – and not in a good way – this year’s team is on, it would seem like it’s now or never when it comes to the Rockies letting go, and making a trade or two that could bring back some big league talent in return.
Then again, it might not be up to them.
Someone has to want, or even need, to acquire players like standout third baseman Ryan McMahon and starting pitcher German Marquez, although Marquez’s trade value is suddenly in serious doubt due to a newly developed shoulder issue.
If that’s not enough, from the “If it wasn’t for bad luck” department comes another little note: The Rockies now have a “seller” rival when it comes to trying to make a deal with a contender in need of a third baseman and/or a starting pitcher. Seems like Colorado’s National League West rival/Spring Training roommates, the Arizona Diamondbacks, want to pluck those top prospects for themselves. And they’re set to offer up an All-Star third baseman and two starting pitchers of their own.
A year ago at this time, McMahon had been the Rockies All-Star representative, and rumors swirled that the Rockies might trade him. Staying true to form, they didn’t. This year, Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez was an All-Star selection at the hot corner, and given the D-Backs fourth place standing in the NL West, word is that they’ve decided to be trade deadline sellers.
Suarez appears to be readily available. Rumors have him headed to the New York Yankees in exchange for highly touted prospects, players that the Rockies badly need.
A few weeks ago, those same rumor mills had McMahon in that trade slot, and those prospects headed to the Mile High. Not anymore. A proposed eight-player deal would also include starting pitcher Merrill Kelly going to New York and bring the D-Backs five prospects back in return.
Arizona is also reportedly willing to part with starting pitcher Zac Gallen. Gallen is a far more attractive option than Marquez (injured or not) for any MLB contender.
Sigh.
Here’s what could help the Rockies: Arizona came out of the break – with Suarez swinging a hot bat – on a winning streak, and suddenly they’re on the outskirts of the playoff picture. Maybe if the D-Backs stay hot and their front office believes they have a chance at a wild card spot a week from now, they pull out of the seller’s market?
That would be a positive.
The good news is that there are more teams than ever who remain in the playoff hunt. More teams who are residing in the buyer’s market than ever before. The Rockies are entrenched as a seller. Contending teams who are willing to wait until the 11th hour might find the seller’s inventory isn’t everything they’d hoped it would be, and with a sense of urgency may have no choice but to reach out to Colorado.
That’s the best case scenario.
Meanwhile, at least for a week, Rockies fans should be rooting hard for their NL West brethren.
