Colorado Rockies Listening on 7 Players At Trade Deadline

The Colorado Rockies find themselves in a familiar spot as we approach the trade deadline next week. Last place. As every year, they are taking a lot of calls from teams around the league who are looking to pick over whatever the Rockies are willing to make available. 

And while Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that most likely they will not be moving their slugging catcher Hunter Goodman ("I have heard both ways on Goodman, including from multiple officials that he is not really available"), there's more than just Goodman to pick from.

 

Per insider Bob Nightengale, the Rockies are listening on seven players.

The Colorado Rockies will be popular at the trade deadline. They are letting teams know that pitchers Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano are available, as well as position players Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro.

The Rockies, like the LA Angels, don't always do the right thing and trade players when they clearly should. But it sounds like they might be more willing this year. 

Normally, pitchers from the Rockies are not very sought-after at the deadline, as their numbers are usually ugly thanks to pitching in the thin air of Coors Field. And that's no different this year. 

Rockies making pitchers with ERAs of 7.34, 6.53 and 4.96 available at deadline

Sugano has the best ERA of the three starters that they're making available, at 4.96. Lorenzen has given up a major league high 141 hits and has a 6.53 ERA in his 21 starts, while Freeland has been even worse, with a 7.34 ERA, with an MLB-leading 10 losses and 81 earned runs given up. And believe it or not, Freeland and Sugano have been even worse on the road than at home. 

Senzatela started the season on fire out of the bullpen, with a 0.46 ERA in April and a 2.70 in May. But since June 1? 8.18 ERA in June and 6.43 in July. Away from Denver, however, on the road, he has an excellent 2.30 ERA this season with a 24:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. There should be some interest in the 31-year-old reliever.

Strong position player offerings from Rockies at trade deadline

Moniak is having his second straight strong season in the outfield, with an .875 OPS and 16 homers in just 69 games. McCarthy has had a masterful breakout season at the age of 28, making the most of his first experience at Coors Field, with a .321 average and .925 OPS at home, while still maintaining .298 and .842 marks overall. Both of them could get the Rockies a nice return. 

Castro's versatility could make him a commodity. While his offensive numbers are middling, he has played every position around the diamond except right field and catcher, making him a valuable utility piece. 

The Rockies will be busy this week — if they do the right thing this year.