Perhaps it’s fitting that in a season where the Rockies lead the league in scoring runs in the eighth inning or later, Rockies fans also have to wait until the 11th hour to see any action before the trade deadline hits on Monday, Aug. 3 at 4:00 p.m. MT.
With Colorado’s reputation of favoring loyalty over actual value, many expected the new front office led by Paul DePodesta & C0. to be very active this season. So far, that’s not been the case as the Rockies have only dealt reliever Seth Halvorsen
to the Los Angeles Dodgers for RHP Nick Frasso and OF Landyn Vidourek.
Of course, that hasn’t dampened fan speculation or proposals.
As we all hold our collective breath and wait for a breaking news alert, I figured I would weigh in on who I think will be traded and who will stay in purple. Because I have one lyric stuck in my head right now, “This indecision’s bugging me (Esta indecisión me molesta),” I am going to use The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” as the theme.
Please forgive the adaptations and alterations of the lyrics. If the Rockies had just made some trades, I would have had more to work with.
Hunter Goodman, Stay
If he goes, there will be trouble.
Mostly, the trouble would stem from Colorado’s lineup losing its biggest bat. Goodman is under team control through 2029 and making a measly $810,000 this year. Only 26 years old and a two-time All-Star, Goodman would demand a hefty return with a team’s No. 1 prospect as part of a multiple-player package.
If he stays, he will hit doubles. And homers. And be a core that this team can build around for years to come.
He could be traded for a great boost in the future, but he already brings a great boost to the Rockies future. I am not alone on this, as Purple Row’s Reacts question last week found that only 22% of Rockies fans thought that Goodman would be traded.
In the end, the Rockies will ask a high price for Goodman that other teams won’t want to match. The Rockies have the upper hand in not needing to deal the catcher and, therefore, don’t need to compromise or get pressured into a deal.
Jake McCarthy, Go
McCarthy has turned out to be a great addition to the roster this season. Arriving in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league right-handed pitcher Josh Grosz in January, McCarthy joined an already crowded outfield.
With so many prospects waiting in line, wasn’t the point to give him some playing time — which worked out nicely with injuries to Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck — and increase his value to trade him? Why else would you bring in another veteran into the mix?
At 29, McCarthy’s speed and spark make him a valuable asset for any team, especially a contender looking for a bench playmaker. Plus, he would be under team control through 2028, and he’s only making $1,525,000 this season.
If the Rockies don’t trade him, it’s going to start to feel like another Daniel Bard situation where a window passes, and a player’s value later drops. If the Rockies hang on to him too long, he could be here ‘til the end of time.
Mickey Moniak, Stay
When Moniak posted eight homers in April and hit .315/.361/.652 with an OPS of 1.013, he seemed to be on his way to an All-Star bid and fodder for trade rumors. Then came the right ankle tendonitis injury that sidelined him for a month.
In the wake of returning from the injury, Moniak has been relegated from an everyday player to a bench player who mostly suits up against right-handed pitchers and has limited defensive value or versatility. That affects the impact and playing time he could have on another team, thus lowering the chances he gets shipped out of town.
On the bright side, the Rockies will benefit from having him in the clubhouse. He’ll remain under team control through the 2027 season and can maybe become a better trade chip then. A could-have-been hot commodity earlier this season, Moniak cooled off and will not blow out of town.
Antonio Senzatela, Go
After struggling mightily the past few seasons as a starter, with success and injuries, Senzatela has found out exactly who he’s supposed to be — a reliever
A RHP who’s found more velocity and strikeouts in his 31st year of life has been reborn in the bullpen this season. In the final season of a 5-year, $50.5 million deal with a $14 million club option in 2027, Senzatela could help provide solid innings for a team trying to make a playoff push.
It would end the tenure of a player who’s been in Colorado for a decade, but unlike Jon Gray and Germán Márquez before him, he could be traded instead of walk away in free agency.
Kris Bryant, Go
This one is just a reminder that the Rockies are paying Bryant $27 million to not play this year.
There is no trade to be made. There is no return to the lineup. Colorado fans don’t want him, so set him free.
At the beginning of each season, it’s always tease, tease, tease with ideas of being a DH or finding a non-surgical treatment.
Now, please just DFA him. Eat the contract, which is not only the $27 million this season, but the same for 2027 and 2028, and get Bryant off the Rockies’ back.
You gotta let me know
In just four days, we can look back and probably see how wrong I am. Honestly, I am happy to be wrong, as long as the Rockies make some trades. After all, Colorado dealt Ryan McMahon, Tyler Kinley and Jake Bird last year, so it has to be at least three this year, right?
As indecision and waiting continue to bug Rockies fans, please share who you think should stay and who should go in the comments!
On the Farm
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 16, El Paso Chihuahuas 10
The Isotopes overcame a 9-7 deficit by scoring five runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth to pull off a barn-burning comeback Thursday night. Remarkably, Albuquerque scored only one run from one homer — a solo shot from Zac Veen. Veen drove in five runs on the night with two hits, two walks and two runs scored. Nic Kent doubled and tripled on a four-hit night with three runs scored and two more driven in, Charlie Condon added two hits, two RBIs and scored a run, Sterlin Thompson and Adael Amador each drew two walks and combined to score five runs and Conner Capel drove in three runs on two hits and scored one run. El Paso out-hit the Isotopes 14-11, but Albuquerque drew 10 walks in the game to make up for it.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 10, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 5
Roc Riggio hit a three-run homer, while Mike Antico and GJ Hill each added two-run shots on the way to Hartford’s high-scoring win on Thursday. Andy Perez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI and Jared Thomas went 2-for-5 with one run scored. The Yard Goats broke open a 1-1 tie with a five-run fourth inning and added four more insurance runs in the seventh. Jack Mahoney improved to 7-1 after pitching six strong innings, giving up only one run on six hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
High-A: Spokane Indians 9, Vancouver Canadians 7
After three innings, Vancouver was up 5-1. After seven innings, the Canadians were still ahead 7-4. Luckily for Spokane, the Indians were saving their comeback for the ninth and it worked. Highlighted by a two-run double by Tanner Thach, an RBI triple by Clayton Gray and a run-scoring single by Ethan Hedges, Spokane scored five runs in the top of the ninth. Francis Rivera threw three scoreless innings to close out the game and earn the win with four strikeouts and one hit. Hedges finished with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored and Blake Penso added two hits, two RBI, one run scored and one walk.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies 12, Ontario Tower Buzzers 2
Despite making five errors, the Grizzlies combined for 15 hits to score 12 runs, and with the assistance of four Ontario errors, shut down the Tower Buzzers on Thursday. Fresno jumped out to take the lead in the third when Cristian Arguelles hit an RBI double and Wilder Dalis followed with a three-run homer to put the Grizzlies up 4-0. Fresno continued to add to its lead throughout the game like in the seventh when Roynier Hernandez hit an RBI single and again in the eighth when Landyn Vidourek hit a run-scoring double, Juan Castillo scored on a wild pitch and Vidourek came around to score on an Ashly Andujar ground out. The Grizzlies added four more runs in the ninth. Hernandez started the party with a sac fly. Arguelles, Dalis and Derek Bernard all followed with singles to score three more runs and put a dozen on the scoreboard.
Brady Parker was effective in his start against the Tower Buzzers, giving up just one run on two hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in five innings. Grif Hughes finished the game with six strikeouts and one earned run on four hits and two walks in four innings.
Is Hunter Goodman’s defense really something to worry about? | Purple Row
With the Hunter Goodman trade rumors swirling, Skyler Timmins weighs in on the doubts that have been cast on the catcher’s skills behind the plate. He breaks down Goodman’s framing, ABS challenges, blocking, pop time, arm, and his ability to catch basestealers.
Kyle Newman checks in with Rockies farm director Chris Forbes, who believes Charlie Condon, the Rockies No. 3 pick from the 2024 MLB Draft and No. 1 PuRP, will break into MLB this season. A trade would need to happen to free up a roster spot. Newman also recaps the ACL Rockies championship and other prospect news.
For everyone waiting for trades, Kevin Henry’s take, based on discussions with general manager Josh Byrnes, should temper those expectations. The Rockies don’t have to trade this year. With more contracts coming to an end in 2027, next season could be the time.
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