All signs point to Rockies being more active at MLB trade deadline

The Rockies have already made one deal in advance of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, sending infielder Mike Moustakas to the Angels on June 24.

And there appears to be plenty of potential for more.

Echoing comments made by general manager Bill Schmidt to The Denver Post earlier this month, Rockies manager Bud Black told SiriusXM MLB Radio hosts Jim Duquette and Mike Ferrin that there was “probably more potential” for deadline deals this year than last year.

“I think there’s probably more potential there this year, Jim, I think, than previous years,” Black told Duquette and Ferrin.

The @Rockies could be making some Mile High trades over the next few weeks, according to manager Bud Black.#Rockies pic.twitter.com/lJBHMkAZCu

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 18, 2023

In 2022, of course, the Rockies sat out the trade deadline. Despite appearing to be in position to sell, Colorado was the only MLB team to not make any kind of trade at the deadline. Its most significant move was to re-sign closer Daniel Bard, who struggled this year with anxiety, landing on the injured list early in the season as a result.

“I think there’s reasons for everything, if you really look back and study it, and really dig deeper into why teams trade and why teams do not trade,” Black said on SiriusXM MLB radio. “But I do think that this year is a year where possibly you could see more movement out of us.”

Players with expiring contracts who appear to be candidates for deals are outfielder Randal Grichuk, 1B C.J. Cron, outfielder Jurickson Profar and reliever Pierce Johnson. However, Johnson has struggled this year, lugging a 6.14 ERA and a 1.775 WHIP into Tuesday.

Cron, the Rockies’ only All-Star last year, has found his form since returning from the IL on June 27. He entered Tuesday’s play with a .313/.340/.521 line in that span.

Catcher Elías Diaz could also be a valuable piece. He has another year remaining on his contract. But after the 32-year-old earned his first All-Star selection this year, his value could be at an apex. Becoming the first Rockies player to be an All-Star MVP didn’t hurt, either.

Of course, the Rockies’ complement of available players isn’t what they hoped it would be.

Starting pitchers Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela are out due to Tommy John surgery. Fellow starter Ryan Feltner remains on the injury list after suffering a skull fracture when he absorbed a line drive to the head in Philadelphia on May 13.

Designated hitter Charlie Blackmon is in the final year of his contract. He landed on injured reserve June 11 due to a fractured right hand. The longest-tenured athlete among Denver’s big-four professional teams has a no-trade clause. However, it is widely believed he would waive it for a deal to Atlanta, his hometown.

Coincidentally, Atlanta could be looking for another bench bat that could work as a DH. Outfielder Sam Hilliard left the Braves’ game Tuesday due to a leg injury and their regular DH, Marcell Ozuna, has cooled off this month, posting a .214/.267/.317 line since July 1.

Still, Blackmon remaining on the IL dampens any trade talk.

During an interview on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain last month, Schmidt cited players in the pipeline as part of the justification why the Rockies might move players at this year’s deadline.

Black alluded to that scenario Tuesday.

“I sense that with the players that we have and what we have going on the second half of this year and going into next year and years beyond, that it could make more sense to be a little bit more active,” he said.

Still, as Schmidt noted earlier this month, it takes two to make a deal.

“We are going to listen on guys. But people have to remember that teams have to want your players, too,” Schmidt said July 7.

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