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Latest On Rockies’ Deadline Plans

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The Rockies are one of the few teams clearly out of playoff contention a month from the deadline. That positions them as a likely seller, though Colorado has generally been reluctant to deal players in recent summers even as they’ve typically been near the bottom of the standings.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that Colorado is expected to be open to offers on most of their impending free agents. However, Heyman indicates the Rox are less interested in parting with Daniel Bard, who is under contract for 2024. That’s not to say they’d categorically refuse to listen on players with multiple years of club control, but it seems the front office prefers to relinquish only shorter-term assets.

That’s no surprise in light of Colorado’s past deadline activity. If the Rox do constrain themselves only to parting with rentals, they could be in for another quiet summer. The Rockies have six impending free agents — they already dealt Mike Moustakas to the Angels last weekend — but the bulk of the group has struggled.

A late-spring roll of the dice on Jurickson Profar hasn’t panned out. The switch-hitting left fielder has just a .231/.315/.372 line with six home runs over 318 plate appearances. His strikeout and walk numbers are solid, but Profar hasn’t hit for power and has rated as a well below-average defender. He’s playing this season on a $7.75MM salary and is unlikely to have much trade appeal.

That’s also true of reliever Pierce Johnson, who signed for $5MM over the winter. The right-hander carries a 6.19 ERA across 32 innings, struggles that pushed him out of the closing role a few weeks ago. Johnson has struck out an excellent 31.8% of opposing hitters while sitting north of 96 MPH on his heater, so perhaps another team could view him as an upside flier in the middle innings. Johnson’s poor ERA and bloated 13.2% walk percentage mean he’s unlikely to bring back much of note, though.

Outfielder Randal Grichuk and first baseman C.J. Cron are veteran stopgap bats. Grichuk has a .294/.357/.429 line with two homers over 196 plate appearances — league average offense after adjusting for Coors Field, as measured by wRC+. He’s capable of covering all three outfield spots but better suited for a corner. Cron lost a good chunk of the season to back spasms, returning a few days ago. The right-handed hitter has managed only a .231/.277/.420 line in 38 games this year. Cron came up just short of 30 homers in both 2021 and ’22, but he’s had a tough first few months.

The other two impending free agents, Charlie Blackmon and Brent Suter, are currently on the injured list. Blackmon has full no-trade rights and is making $15MM. He’s very unlikely to move. Suter, claimed off waivers last winter, has a 2.81 ERA across 41 2/3 innings of relief. The control specialist could draw some attention if healthy, but he just landed on the IL with a strained left oblique.

Colorado’s top realistic trade candidate might be another left-handed bullpen arm, Brad Hand. Signed to a $3MM free agent deal, the three-time All-Star has a 3.62 ERA over 27 1/3 frames. Hand has an above-average 28.1% strikeout rate despite a modest 9.5% swinging strike percentage.

Hand isn’t a true rental, as his contract contains a $7MM team option for next season. Heyman suggests the Rockies are likely to gauge the market on Hand, though. That’s not too surprising, since that option price is probably a bit beyond the veteran’s market value. If he’s traded, the option would convert to a mutual provision.

None of the Rockies’ impending free agents would bring back a significant prospect return. That’s probably also true of Bard, even though the veteran has a sterling 2.05 ERA across 26 1/3 innings. Bard opened the season on the injured list due to anxiety issues that have affected him at times throughout his career.

He has been on the active roster since mid-April but struggled to find the strike zone consistently. Bard has walked just under 20% of opponents, nearly double last season’s rate. At age 38 and due a $9.5MM salary next year, the right-hander would be a risky target for contenders even if the Rockies put him on the market.

Yonathan Daza To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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Rockies minor league outfielder Yonathan Daza will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder next week, the team confirmed. Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase first reported the news (on Twitter).

Thomas Harding of MLB.com tweets that Daza’s procedure is similar to the one which second baseman Brendan Rodgers underwent in Spring Training. As Harding points out, the outfielder has been bothered by shoulder issues on a few occasions. He missed a few weeks late last season after dislocating the same shoulder when diving for a ball in the outfield.

Daza was Colorado’s Opening Day center fielder this year. The speedster was coming off a .301/.349/.384 showing in a career-high 113 contests. He only got into 24 big league games this season, posting a .270/.304/.351 line through 80 trips to the plate. In early May, Colorado designated him for assignment and ran him through outright waivers. He went on to appear in 39 games for their top affiliate in Albuquerque, hitting .305/.350/.415 in an extremely hitter-friendly setting before landing on the minor league injured list yesterday.

Today’s news could unofficially end Daza’s time in the organization. He’ll qualify for minor league free agency at season’s end unless the Rockies add him back to the 40-man roster. That almost certainly won’t happen with his second half wiped out. The Rox could try to retain him on a minor league deal, but the 29-year-old will presumably get a chance to explore non-roster opportunities around the league next winter.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: The Angels Trade for Infielders, Indecisive NL Central Teams and Aaron Judge’s Toe

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

  • The Angels acquired Eduardo Escobar from the Mets and Mike Moustakas from the Rockies (1:25)
  • The Pirates and Cubs and Cardinals are thinking about their respective trade deadline approaches (7:20)
  • The Yankees’ hopes are hanging on Aaron Judge’s toe (16:05)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • How do you think the Red Sox will approach the deadline? Will they try to toe the line like last season (which did not work)? (18:50)
  • I would like to know what you think the Padres are going to do? They have numerous holes in that lineup, they are selling out game after game at home? You think major trades forthcoming? Or what? (22:40)
  • What do you think are the chances that the Braves trade Vaughn Grissom at the deadline? What caliber of player do you believe a package built around Grissom would bring in? (25:35)

Check out our past episodes!

Rockies Select Matt Koch

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The Rockies announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Matt Koch. They already had an open roster spot on both their 40-man and active rosters, meaning no corresponding move will be necessary.

Koch, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies over the offseason and has been in Triple-A this year. He’s tossed 34 2/3 innings over 29 appearances with a 7.27 ERA but stronger peripherals in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His 21.5% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate are each close to typical major league averages, but his .362 batting average on balls in play and 59.3% strand rate are on the unfriendly side of par. That’s led to a 5.90 FIP that’s more than a full run better than his ERA.

Prior to this season, he appeared in 40 big league games with the Diamondbacks and Mariners dating back to 2016. He has an ERA of 5.00 in those, striking out just 13.2% of opponents but limiting walks to a 5.3% clip.

The Rockies’ pitching staff has been stretched in recent days after they were trounced 25-1 by the Angels on Saturday. They then optioned Karl Kauffmann and recalled Nick Mears before bouncing back with a 4-3 victory on Sunday. After that game, they optioned Noah Davis and have now brought up Koch to keep a fresh arm on hand. Koch is out of options but has just over a year of service time.

Angels Acquire Mike Moustakas

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The Angels acquired infielder Mike Moustakas tonight, sending minor league righty Connor Van Scoyoc to the Rockies.  The deal, which is now official, was first reported by Robert Murray of Fansided.  The Halos designated infielder Kevin Padlo for assignment to open a spot for Moustakas, reports MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger.

Moustakas, 34, was released by the Reds in January, with the club eating $22MM in the process.  He hooked on with the Rockies on a minor league deal in March and cracked the Opening Day roster with a strong spring.  With the Rockies, Moustakas was used as a backup at the infield corners behind C.J. Cron and Ryan McMahon.  Cron has been on the IL with a back injury since mid-May, but Elehuris Montero has been drawing a good number of starts at first base in his stead.

After a pair of injury-wracked seasons, the left-handed-hitting Moustakas bounced back to a degree in his 136 plate appearances with Colorado this year by posting a 101 wRC+.  Moustakas effectively got to walk over to the visitors’ clubhouse tonight, after the Angels set various franchise records with a 25-1 drubbing of the Rockies at Coors Field.

Moustakas didn’t get to play in that one, but he’ll move from the NL’s worst team to a Halos club that is tied for the third AL wild-card spot with the Blue Jays.  The Angels are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.  With the Moustakas acquisition tonight, they’ve added a three-time All-Star, 2015 World Champion, and 13-year MLB veteran.  Moose hit 35 home runs in 2019, the fifth time he’d hit at least 20 in a season.

Moustakas’ initial two bouts with free agency were disappointments.  The first time through in 2017-18,  he turned down a $17.4MM qualifying offer from the Royals only to return in March on a one-year, $6.5MM deal.  The next time, he lingered on the market until February before re-signing with the Brewers for $10MM.  Moustakas was able to use his 2019 All-Star season as a springboard to a surprising four-year, $64MM deal with the Reds.  Unfortunately, Moustakas played in only 140 games for the Reds from 2021-22 due heel injuries, a right biceps strain, calf strains, and stints on the COVID-IL.

Moustakas spent some time at second base in 2019-20, but since then he’s been utilized at the infield corners and designated hitter.  The Angels have used a cast of players at first this year, with over 100 innings apiece going to Brandon Drury, Jared Walsh, Gio Urshela, and Jake Lamb.  Lamb was optioned to Triple-A in May, and Walsh followed him on Saturday.  Urshela recently suffered a season-ending fractured pelvis.

Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon went on the IL last Monday with a bruised wrist.  Luis Rengifo had been getting the nod at the hot corner, until the Angels picked up switch-hitter Eduardo Escobar as something of an Urshela replacement in a trade with the Mets on Friday.  Escobar, the Mets’ starting third baseman last year, could complement Moustakas at first and dabble at second base once Rendon returns.  Escobar has hit lefties quite well in recent seasons, with a 131 wRC+ in 398 plate appearances against them since 2021.  Moustakas hit righties to the tune of a 115 wRC+ from 2015-20, and may need to do so again to maintain his roster spot.

As for the Rockies, Moustakas could perhaps be the first domino to fall in advance of the August 1st trade deadline.  GM Bill Schmidt didn’t give much away in his comments on the topic on the Rockies broadcast about a week ago, but the team’s potential free agents include Charlie Blackmon, Randal Grichuk, Jurickson Profar, C.J. Cron, Pierce Johnson, Brent Suter, and Brad Hand.

In Van Scoyoc, the Rockies picked up a 23-year-old righty who’s served as a starting pitcher for the High-A Tri-City Dust Devils this year.  He was an 11th round pick by the Angels out of an Iowa high school back in 2018.  Van Scoyoc has posted a 2.76 ERA in 62 innings at that level on the strength of a 51.2% groundball rate.  Oddly enough, Van Scoyoc also switched clubhouses to join his new team, notes Doug Taylor on Twitter.

The 26-year-old Padlo had signed a minor league deal with the Angels back in December, earning a Major League look by hitting .273/.396/.555 at Triple-A.  The Angels selected his contract on Monday and gave him eight plate appearances, but now he’s lost a 40-man spot once again.  Padlo, a corner infielder, has also seen MLB time with the Rays, Mariners, Giants, and Pirates.

Rockies Place Brent Suter On 15-Day IL

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The Rockies placed left-hander Brent Suter on the 15-day injured list yesterday due to a left oblique strain, and recalled righty Noah Davis from Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Suter has posted his typically low strikeout rate and his 8.1% walk rate is barely above league average, but the 33-year-old has nonetheless worked to a 2.81 ERA over 41 2/3 innings out of Colorado’s bullpen.  Suter has allowed only two home runs over those 41 2/3 frames, and he has some of the best soft-contact numbers of any pitcher in baseball, sitting in the 99th percentile of hard-hit ball rate and in the 97th percentile of barrel rate.

Losing Suter to the IL is another blow to the injury-riddled Rockies, but the particular timing of the oblique problem adds some doubt to the southpaw’s value as a trade chip.  Suter is a free agent after the season, and thus a logical player for the Rockies to shop in what looks like another non-contending season for the club.  While oblique injuries can vary greatly in severity, it appears that Suter’s issue is relatively minor, as he told MLB.com that he was still feeling good and was planning to continue playing catch.

  • Emmet Sheehan’s MLB career is off to a tremendous start, as the Dodgers prospect has a 1.50 ERA over his first 12 innings in the Show.  Sheehan held the Astros to two runs over six frames in yesterday’s 3-2 Los Angeles victory, earning his first big league win in the process.  Unsurprisingly, this success has earned Sheehan a continued look, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that Sheehan will get another start next week.  Julio Urias, Noah Syndergaard, and Dustin May are all on the IL, and while Urias might be back within a week or so, L.A. has had to rely on younger arms to join Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin in the rotation.  Sheehan and Bobby Miller have done well to pick up the slack, while Michael Grove has been less consistent.  Roberts said that Grove will work as a bulk pitcher behind an opener on Wednesday, when the Dodgers play the Rockies.

Rockies Release Dinelson Lamet

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The Rockies have released right-hander Dinelson Lamet, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment by the club last week.

It’s not a shock to see Lamet end up released, given his performance and contract. Claimed off waivers from the Brewers last year, he and the Rockies agreed to an arbitration salary of $5MM for the 2023 season but he hasn’t been able to come anywhere near justifying that expense. He’s made 16 appearances this year, including four starts, with a massive 11.57 ERA in 25 2/3 innings. His 23.1% strikeout rate is solid but his 16.4% walk rate is almost double the league average rate of 8.7%.

In the Rockies’ defense, they put down that $5MM bet on Lamet hoping for a bounceback. He once looked like a budding ace, posting a 2.09 ERA for the Padres in the shortened 2020 season with a 34.8% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate. He would have been a bargain if he could have got anywhere near that kind of production. However, he’s been on the decline since then thanks to a combination of injuries and underperformance. He was limited to 47 innings in 2021 with a 4.40 ERA that year. He only logged 32 1/3 frames last year with his ERA jumping to 6.12 before it climbed even higher this year.

The Rockies will remain on the hook for what’s left of Lamet’s salary as he heads to the open market. He’ll be free to sign with any of the 29 other clubs, who would only be responsible for paying the prorated league minimum, which would be subtracted from what the Rockies pay. Lamet’s results have obviously been terrible this year but perhaps there’s some club who sees a way to get the 30-year-old back to the brilliant form he showed just a few years ago.

Rockies’ Prospect Zac Veen Undergoes Season-Ending Hand Surgery

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Top Rockies’ prospect Zac Veen posted an image of himself in the hospital (on Twitter) after an apparent left arm surgery this evening. Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports the procedure was to address ligament damage in his hand (Twitter link). According to Harding, Veen is expected to be out of action until December.

Obviously, that ends his 2023 campaign. Had Veen been healthy, the 2020 first-round pick had a shot to make his MLB debut this year. He reached Double-A Hartford late last season and returned there to start this year. Regarded as a borderline top 50 prospect by each of Baseball America, Keith Law of the Athletic and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, the left-handed hitter was seeking to hit his way to Coors Field by year’s end.

That won’t happen, as it seemed Veen was hampered by the hand issue all season. According to Harding, the young outfielder first felt discomfort midway through last summer. Veen’s numbers plummeted following a late-season bump from High-A to Double-A. While the higher caliber of pitching presumably played a role, the injury offers an additional explanation.

Veen’s 2023 numbers lend support to that possibility. Hand or wrist injuries can diminish a hitter’s power. Veen’s batted ball quality has evaporated this year. He connected on only two home runs over 46 contests and 201 plate appearances. Prospect evaluators have credited the 6’3″ corner outfielder with significant raw power potential. A lofty 47.7% grounder rate hasn’t helped his power output, but it stands to reason he wasn’t hitting the ball with as much authority as he would’ve had he been fully healthy.

The 21-year-old had a .209/.303/.308 batting line overall. He walked at a strong 11.4% clip while striking out at a roughly average 21.4% rate. While Veen’s plate discipline numbers were fine, a meager .260 average on balls in play and the lack of home run pop led to the dismal overall results.

Charlie Blackmon, Jurickson Profar and Randal Grichuk are all slated for free agency after this season. Kris Bryant will be assured one corner outfield spot if healthy, but the rest of the Rox’s future outfield is unsettled. Even if Nolan Jones builds off his strong start to lock himself into right field, Veen could have a path to DH reps next season depending on Colorado’s offseason activity. Colorado doesn’t have to add Veen to their 40-man roster until after the 2024 season, though they’d presumably be happy to get a look at him before then if he mashes in the upper minors to start the year.

George Frazier Passes Away

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Former major league player and analyst George Frazier has passed away, according to an announcement from the Rockies. He was 68.

After playing at the University of Oklahoma, Frazier entered pro ball as a ninth-round pick of the Brewers in the 1976 draft. While still in the minor leagues, he was traded to the Cardinals in a swap that sent catcher Buck Martinez to Milwaukee. Frazier made his MLB debut with St. Louis in May 1978, eventually appearing in 14 games as a rookie. He bounced on and off the active roster for the next two seasons.

Midway through the ’81 campaign, the Cards dealt Frazier to the Yankees. He pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to help the Yanks past the A’s in that year’s AL Championship Series. He was charged with a trio of losses in their World Series defeat at the hands of the Dodgers, though, allowing seven runs in 3 2/3 frames over three outings.

Frazier put that rocky World Series showing behind him to establish himself as a key reliever by the following season. He surpassed 100 innings with a sub-3.50 ERA in each of the next two years. Over the 1983-84 offseason, New York dealt him to the Indians alongside outfielder Otis Nixon for All-Star infielder Toby Harrah. Frazier didn’t spend much time in Cleveland. Before the ’84 deadline, the Indians moved him to the Cubs with Rick Sutcliffe (who’d go on to win the NL Cy Young award that year) and Ron Hassey in a blockbuster that netted Cleveland Joe Carter and Mel Hall.

The right-handed Frazier tossed 63 2/3 innings for Chicago down the stretch to help them to the NLCS. He struggled over the next couple seasons but intrigued the Twins enough that they acquired him at the 1986 trade deadline. Frazier spent a season and a half in Minnesota to wrap up his MLB playing career. The ’87 Twins went on to win the World Series; Frazier’s last MLB outing was a two-inning scoreless appearance against the Cardinals in that year’s Fall Classic.

After his playing career came to a close, Frazier embarked on a lengthy run as a broadcaster. He worked as a color analyst for the Twins for a time before joining the Rockies’ booth for the 1998 season. He’d spend nearly two decades in Colorado, calling games there through 2015.

Frazier spent upwards of four decades in the game. As a player, he pitched in 415 big league contests. He posted a career 4.20 ERA through 675 2/3 innings, striking out 449 hitters. He was credited with 35 wins, finished 193 games and picked up 29 saves. He added six playoff games with three different franchises and won a World Series to close his career.

MLBTR joins others around the game in sending condolences to Frazier’s family, friends, former teammates and loved ones.

Rockies Select Connor Kaiser

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The Rockies announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Connor Kaiser. He will take the active roster spot of infielder Ezequiel Tovar, who has been placed on the paternity list. The club already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster.

Kaiser, 26, was a third-round selection of the Pirates in the 2018 draft. He rose through the ranks with that club but topped out at Triple-A and was released in 2022. He then signed a minor league deal with the Padres but qualified for minor league free agency at the end of last season.

The Rockies scooped him up on a minor league deal this winter and he’s been playing for their Triple-A club this year. He’s made 205 trips to the plate in 50 games, walking in 13.2% of those. His .278/.376/.506 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 108, indicating he’s been 8% above league average. He’s also stolen six bases on the year while playing primarily at shortstop but also a bit at third base. He hasn’t played second base this year but has in the past.

He will provide the Rockies with a versatile bench piece, at least as long as Tovar is gone. Stints on the paternity list can be between one and three days, meaning it’s possible this will be a cup of coffee for Kaiser, who has a full slate of options.

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