Reacting to your Rockies trade proposals

The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline on August 3 is drawing ever closer. Over the weekend, the Colorado Rockies made clear which players are definitely available for trade, and it’s not a surprising list. Of course, anything is possible, and teams are likely still calling about other players mentioned.

So, last Friday, I asked the Purple Row community to play armchair general manager and chime in with their trade proposals and ideas of what could be done at the deadline. Ideas have also popped up in other article comment sections, such as our MLB Trade Deadline tracker articles. After combing through the comments, I’ve compiled some of the trades that stood out to me by themed categorie and credited those who submitted the deals.

Moving Brennan Bernardio for young pitching

Brennan Bernardino, the Rockies’ lone lefty in the bullpen, has been excellent this year. Southpaw relievers are always at a premium, and it may behoove the Rockies to move the 34-year-old despite three more years of control. A number of trades focused on getting young starting pitching for Bernardino’s services.

Bernardino to Baltimore for RHP Nestor German -Ozarkbear

The Rockies need to build up starting pitching depth, and this trade could bring in a nice piece. Nestor German ranks as the Baltimore Orioles No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline and has done well since being drafted in the 11th round in 2023. Pitching in Triple-A this season, he has a 3.91 ERA in 96.2 innings while striking out 103 batters against 34 walks. He has a well-rounded arsenal and pounds the zone with all of his pitches. I like the trade for Colorado because it gives them a young starter who is nearly ready to pitch in the big leagues and checks a lot of boxes for the new front office. The Rockies say yes, but the Orioles may be a bit more hesitant.

Bernardino back to Red Sox for RHP Kyson Witherspoon -sdcarp

The Boston Red Sox got scorching hot over the last few weeks and are suddenly positioned as buyers this season. They made the first big splash by acquiring Curtis Mead from Washington for starting pitcher Connelly Early, but could a reunion with Bernardino be of interest? Kyson Witherspoon was drafted 15th overall last season by Boston and is ranked as their No. 4 prospect. The 21-year-old has been finding his footing in High-A with a 5.01 ERA in 16 starts. He’s got a varied pitch mix that can generate swing and miss; he just needs to work on honing his command to reduce the walks. It’s another yes for the Rockies, but hard to see Boston overpaying more than they did in the Mead deal, especially for a reliever they are familiar with. It would need more pieces.

A deal for Emerson Hancock?

The Seattle Mariners have a plethora of starting pitchers and have made it clear that two of them are available for trade. It may be a little harder for them to move Luis Castillo, but Emerson Hancock is plenty enticing, and the M’s may try to sell high. Reports say that Seattle would like a right-handed bat and some bullpen help, but perhaps the Rockies could figure something out.

Hancock and a pitching prospect for McCarthy/Moniak, Fulford, Veen/Thompson -stork24

By acquiring Hancock, the Rockies acquire a starting pitcher that can immediately slot into the rotation, is just 27, and under team control through 2030. He’s having a solid year, but there may be things in the underlying metrics that are concern enough for the Mariners that they are comfortable moving him. As for the Rockies side of this, I think Jake McCarthy and Sterlin Thompson would be the players I include in an offer with Braxton Fulford. McCarthy and Thompson bring quality hit tools that are always beneficial, especially in Seattle, while building out some depth down the stretch. Fulford would essentially replace Mitch Garver as the backup catcher but that’s mostly a lateral move.

Unfortunately, I think the Mariners say no to this one because they already have enough left-handed bats, and the right-handed bats on their bench are not good. I think Willi Castro, Jordan Beck, Tyler Freeman, or Brenton Doyle would have to be included in a deal, and a decent reliever like Bernardino instead to swing a deal.

Trading with the Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are once again leading the way as the top team in the American League. They once again find themselves in a position to bolster their lead in the AL East, so perhaps a trade with the Rockies could fix what ails them.

Moniak and Castro to Rays for RHP Ty Johnson, RHP TJ Nichols, OF Brendan Summerhill, and 2B Émilian Pitre -mth0620

This a very interesting trade that I would be inclined to accept. Ty Johnson and TJ Nichols are ranked as the Rays’ No. 10 and No. 19 prospects, respectively, while Brendan Summerhill and Émilian Pitre are No. 23 and No. 27. Johnson is a starting pitcher that could be ready to debut in 2027, if not this season, while Nichols has struggled in Double-A this season but has a power fastball and some interesting secondary pitches. Meanwhile, Summerhill is comparable to McCarthy for the Rockies, while Pitre is a contact-heavy second baseman with speed and a solid glove capable of playing shortstop as well. This would give the Rockies a lot of great pieces that fit the mold of the players new front office values.

McCarthy for Santiago Suarez and Émilien Pitre -Ski to Coors

This is another trade with the Rays that I would easily accept. The highlight of this trade is Santiago Suarez, a right-handed pitcher who is the Rays’ No. 13 prospect. He dealt with a shoulder/triceps issue at the end of 2025, but he has been successful at every level so far. He has given up more runs in Double-A this season, posting a 5.18 ERA in 80 innings, but that’s small potatoes considering what he can do. His fastball can reach 97 mph, while his slider has wipeout movement and his curveball is likely his best offering. He’s also been working on his changeup this year. He pounds the zone and has allowed just nine walks over 17 starts. Plus, he just turned 21 back in January. It may be a lot to ask for both of these players in exchange for McCarthy, but one-for-one could be manageable.

Start spreading the news about Goodman?

Hunter Goodman is going to be one of the hot-button Trade Deadline issues this season. The catcher market is thin, the right-handed batter market is thin, and it’s not every day you can trade for a controllable catcher with 30-plus home runs. The asking price is understandably high, but a few of you offered up some ideas for a trade with the New York Yankees.

Goodman to Yankees for RHP Elmer Rodríguez and RHP Ben Hess -sdcarp

Ranked as the No. 3 prospect and top pitching prospect in the Yankees system, this is part of the high price the Rockies are asking for. Rodríguez made his big league debut this season but hasn’t quite stuck yet. In four starts, he has a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings. His main struggle was his command as he issued 11 walks against 10 strikeouts. There is plenty of upside for the 21-year-old, but he needs more refinement. Ben Hess comes in as the No. 6 prospect for the Yankees and has drawn comparisons to former MLB standout Lance Lynn. Big-bodied with a solid pitch mix, Hess also needs more refinement and has to stay durable. This is a strong start to a trade, but it needs at least two more players in the mix.

Goodman to Yankees for RHP Carlos Lagrange, LHP Pico Khon, LHP Xavier Rivas, old friend RHP Jake Bird, and two additional prospects (position players) who are not listed on MLB Pipeline. -Renee Dechert

Our own Renee Dechert proposed many trades for this article, but I wanted to highlight this major one. Carlos Lagrange comes in as the No.4 prospect for the Yankees with an electric fastball and a heavy reliance on his secondary pitches. His size and stuff on the mound are intimidating, but he needs a lot more polish because of the inconsistencies in his delivery that hurt his command. There is plenty to like, and his makeup reminds me of Chase Dollander. The two lefties, Pico Khon and Xavier Rivas, rank as the No. 11 and No. 25 prospects and make me pause a little bit more. Both are in the vein of other soft-tossing lefties that have struggled with the Rockies in recent years. Each is likely better suited for a reliever role, which is a role the Rockies desperately need to fill out more. If I’m the Rockies, I would try to swap out Rivas for a ranked position player prospect, drop Jake Bird in the deal, and split the new unranked prospects between a reliever and a position player. Again, a good starting point for a deal.

Wrapping up

There were several other trades that I won’t be able to dive into for this article. There were a couple of trades to send Tomoyuki Sugano to one of the Chicago teams. There were additional moves to send Moniak and McCarthy to various places, and there were general sentiments of trading anyone and everyone that can be available.

Overall, this was a solid exercise for the community. It’ll be interesting to see what deals the Rockies make over the next few days and to see how close any predictions actually are. I applauded you for the contributions and discussions about this topic and, if anything, many of these proposals are good starting points for a negotiation.

Well done Purple Rowers! You’ve earned your GM thinking caps.

On the farm

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 15, El Paso Chihuahuas 9

It was another classic game in the PCL. The Albuquerque Isotopes put up eight runs in the top of the second and then found themselves leading 10-2 heading to the bottom of the third inning. The El Paso Chihuahuas responded with five runs in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to three. The Isotopes responded with two more in the fourth before giving up two runs in the seventh. They then put up a three-spot in the eighth to take a 15-9 lead that held. The Isotopes had 23 hits with only Charlie Condon going hitless.

Five players had at least three hits, including Jordan Beck, who had two home runs and five RBI, including a grand slam. Zac Veen had four hits, finishing a double shy of the cycle. Valente Bellozo started on the mound and allowed seven runs through three innings before giving way to Mason Green, who gave up two runs in three innings. The bullpen then shut it down the rest of the way, including Nick Frasso tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 8, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3

Andy Perez enjoyed another solid day at the plate to help lead the Hartford Yard Goats to victory. Perez went 3-for-5 at the top of the lineup as teh Yard Goats had 10 total hits with only three hitters failing to get a hit. Braylen Wimmer had three RBI while GJ Hill had a double, the lone extra-base hit. The Yard Goats went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position and went 11-for-12 with stolen bases. Connor Staine started on the mound and went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

High-A: Vancouver Canadians 8, Spokane Indians 1

It was a tough offensive night for Spokane as they scored one run on a double play ball and had just five hits. Roldy Brito had a pair of hits to lead the Indians while Alan Espinal had a double. Jordy Vargas started on the hill and allowed three runs on three hits, including two home runs, in 4.1 innings of work. Things got out of hand in the seventh inning for Tyler Hampu as he was tagged for five runs on two hits with three walks in just a third of an inning.

Low-A: Ontario Tower Buzzers 7, Fresno Grizzlies 6

Trailing 3-0 in the early goings, Fresno scored six runs over the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to lead 6-3. Unfortunately, Ontario scored a run in the final three innings, capped off by two runs in the ninth to secure a walk-off victory. Ashly Andujar and Kyle Fossum each had two hits in the game to lead the way. Fossum had five RBI and had a grand slam in the game. Marcos Herrera started on the mound and went three innings, followed by Luke Hansel’s 4.1 innings of two-run ball. Yanzel Correra ended up giving up the two runs in the ninth without recording an out.

Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies 6, ACL Reds 5 (F/11)

It was a tight-rope affair in Game Three of the ACL League Championship. The ACL Rockies took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. The ACL Reds answered back with a home run in the top of the fourth before the Rockies took back the lead with a run in the fifth. The Reds went ahead 3-2 with two runs in the sixth but the Rockies answered back, once again, with a run in the seventh to tie things up 3-3. The game continued into extra innings as they exchanged runs in the top of the 10th and the Reds took a 5-4 lead in the 11th. Ronny Ugarte singled in the tying run in the 11th, and the Rockies loaded the bases with one out. Eriel Dihigo then grounded a ball to shortstop, but the Reds were unable to turn the double play, allowing the winning run to score and give the Rockies their first ACL Championship since 2021.

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