Report: Rockies may sell multiple pitchers before trade deadline

Major League Baseball is desperate for pitching so much so that several Colorado Rockies arms could be moved ahead of the trade deadline at month’s end.

The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Rockies could play a pivotal role in the trade market since there are few clear sellers. Despite being 29-56, the Rockies have two pitchers having decent enough seasons with upside that Colorado is expected to consider moving those arms. In addition, there’s a bevy of arms, catchers and a big bat that rival MLB general managers will ask the Rockies about.

The two main pieces that could be on the move are left-handed starter Austin Gomber and right-handed starter Cal Quantrill. Both pitchers are under team control through the 2025 season and are earning $3 million and $6.5 million respectively. A team trading for them now would get two playoff runs out of pretty cheap experienced pitching.

Quantrill, 29, is certainly having the better season—he’s pitched a team-best 95.1 innings to a 3.78 ERA. The former No. 8 overall draft pick struggled last year before being swapped in the offseason in a deal that sent a minor leaguer to Cleveland. The rebound at altitude combined with interesting underlying numbers makes him the biggest arm the Rockies could move ahead of the deadline.

Then there’s the 30-year-old Gomber. Throwing 87.2 innings this season with a 4.72 ERA. He’s had an awful June after May was his best month as a Rockie. The lone big-leaguer left for Colorado from the disastrous Nolan Arenado trade, Gomber is still a good enough arm for a serious team to consider him as depth.

Neither of the two would net the Rockies a serious boost to their farm system but when you’re about to lose 100 games for a second straight season every bit helps. But with German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela on the mend, they have to instant replacements for the players they’d be sending out.

If the Rockies really want to get into the selling game, longtime bat Ryan McMahon would be the biggest player the team could move and that trade would possibly add a top-100 prospect back.

The Rockies are also expected to have interest in pitchers Ryan Feltner, Jalen Beeks, Justin Lawrence, and Tyler Kinley as well as catchers Elias Diaz and Jacob Stallings

Though the article notes:

There’s no guarantee that Colorado makes any deals involving any of the aforementioned players, and doing so in some cases would defy their reputation for being hesitant to sell off their pieces.

The Rockies are famous for holding onto their players even when it’s clear they’re not a playoff team. This year is more obvious than any that Colorado is both not postseason-bound and in for a long rebuild. Maybe those factors will be enough to shift the team into some trades. Last year the team held onto Brent Suter for no real season but they did allow themselves to send away C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk and Pierce Johnson. Those deals have already paid off with Victor Vodnik, who came from the Braves, being one of the more promising Rockies relievers. Even so last year was the anomaly—all it takes is going back two years to when the Rockies didn’t flip closer Daniel Bard but rather extended him to show how the team thinks. That contract by the way has been a disaster with Bard not pitching yet in 2024 and he didn’t want the closer role in 2023.

What Colorado does this month with players who clearly won’t impact their future hopes could be key in rebuilding the Rockies.