The Rockies are the kind of team that can make the trade deadline feel like a different sport. Most clubs show up with a clear lane - buy if you’re chasing October, sell if you’re not - but Colorado rarely fits neatly into either bucket. That’s why, even with the deadline approaching, the likeliest move may be no big splash at all.
Colorado sits at 39-59, and there’s no path to adding veteran help for a postseason push. At the same time, the roster doesn’t really have the kind of impact pieces that would transform the franchise’s future in one deadline deal. The result is a team that could end up quiet again, even if other clubs come calling.
If the Rockies do make a notable move, Jake McCarthy looks like the name to watch.
McCarthy has been Colorado’s best player lately, and he’s the most obvious candidate to be sold while his value is high. He leads the team in batting average at .301, RBIs with 53, and stolen bases with 15. He’s also given the Rockies some of their most electric moments of the season, including two inside-the-park home runs - something that hadn’t happened since 1929.
That kind of burst has made him one of the few bright spots in Colorado this year. But the Rockies have not won enough around him to make keeping him especially compelling, and the argument for moving him now is pretty straightforward: this is probably the peak of his trade value, and he may not be part of the club’s long-term picture anyway.
Colorado also has plenty of outfield depth in the pipeline, which makes McCarthy easier to dangle. Charlie Condon is the No. 2 prospect and, while he’s mainly a first baseman, he can also handle the outfield.
Roldy Brito, Jared Thomas, Robert Calaz and Cole Carrigg are all top-six prospects in the system and outfielders as well. On top of that, the Rockies are optimistic about Jordan Beck, Sterlin Thompson and Zac Veen.
Then there’s the current big-league mix. Brenton Doyle has missed much of the season because of injury but remains one of baseball’s best defensive players, and he plays the same center field spot McCarthy has been covering. Mickey Moniak, meanwhile, is a former No. 1 overall pick who has started to show more of what made him such a big-name prospect in the first place.
With Colorado still years from where it wants to be, moving a journeyman like McCarthy would fit the timeline and open up more at-bats for younger players. He’s been tied to nearly every memorable Rockies highlight this season, which only adds to the sense that other teams will be interested before the deadline arrives.
In Other News...
Rockies Near A Trade Decision That Could Sting Fans Most
The Rockies are heading toward an August 3 trade deadline that could force Paul DePodesta and first-year manager Warren Schaeffer into some uncomfortable calls. With the front office still sorting out what this roster should look like going forward, Colorado has several names that could draw interest, and the club is weighing not just immediate return but how much it wants to keep reshaping a team still in the early stages of a new era.
Jake McCarthy is among the players drawing attention as a possible move after the All-Star break, while veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen also sits in the mix as a trade chip. For a Rockies club that has spent much of the season evaluating pieces as much as results, the deadline is starting to look less like a routine checkpoint and more like a test of how aggressively DePodesta wants to act in his first summer running baseball operations in Denver. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Linked To A Rare Catching Deadline Prize
The Rockies are heading toward the deadline in seller mode, and Hunter Goodman has already become one of the more intriguing names to watch. The All-Star catcher has emerged as one of the best offensive catchers in the game, which is exactly why a team like Boston would be paying close attention if Colorado decides to listen on veteran pieces.
For the Red Sox, the appeal is obvious: catching help is hard to find, and Goodman would fit the profile of a rare deadline prize if he ever became available. Colorado still has every reason to value him as part of its future, though, and if the Rockies keep him off the market, other clubs in need behind the plate would have to pivot to alternatives such as Tyler Stephenson. [Read more 🡒]
Why Rockies Fans May Be Stuck With Michael Lorenzen
The Rockies search for stability on the mound has pushed them into a familiar corner, leaning on veteran arms while the organization waits for younger pitchers to catch up. Michael Lorenzen has been part of that stopgap plan, taking the ball regularly and giving Colorado innings at a time when the system does not have many MLB-ready alternatives. In a rebuild that is being shaped from the top down by new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, that kind of placeholder value matters even when the results are uneven.
Lorenzens performance has not exactly made the case for a longer-term fit, and his contract only adds to the sense that this is more necessity than ideal. Still, the Rockies are not in a position to turn away from usable innings, especially with the club focused on long-term improvement rather than a quick fix. For now, the veteran keeps getting the ball every five days, and the bigger question is whether Colorado can eventually build enough pitching depth to make that arrangement temporary. [Read more 🡒]