Colorado Rockies news and links for Wednesday, July 24, 2024
The 2024 Trade Deadline is just six days away and the Colorado Rockies once again find themselves in the position to be sellers if they so choose. A muddy playoff picture, especially for the Wild Card, makes this year particularly interesting and a decent opportunity for any team willing to move pieces. While the Rockies are listening to offers for their catchers and a pair of starters, they are choosing to withhold their most valuable chip, Ryan McMahon.
Confirmation about McMahon staying put surfaced during the All-Star Game in Texas when McMahon told reporters, “We [general manager Bill Schmidt] had a good talk. Talked about it and we came to the conclusion that I’m going to stay a Rockie.”
It’s an understandable sentiment as McMahon has spent his entire professional career with the Rockies and has easily been one of their best players this season. He also expressed anxiety about the burden of having to move his wife and infant daughter to a new location mid-season. So, from McMahon’s point of view he has admirable intentions for expressing a desire not to be traded that we can respect wholeheartedly.
However, the Rockies’ reluctance to trade McMahon in the first place points to a dangerous trend that the team has continued to employ. Back in May, Kenneth Weber highlighted the point that “if you can continuously lose with a productive player, you can just as easily lose without them.”
The Rockies currently sit at the bottom of the National League West and own one of the worst records in baseball. Odds are they will have another top-three draft pick next season which makes them an obvious target for trade speculations and rumors. In all honesty, why does a losing team need a productive veteran player when they are clearly in the process of rebuilding?
The evergreen answer for the Rockies to that answer has been loyalty to a fault.
It’s no mystery that owner Dick Monfort plays a heavy role in roster decisions. Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post had indicated that the Rockies wouldn’t trade McMahon because of how much Monfort loves him. The Rockies view him as a leader and perhaps the next face of the franchise once Charlie Blackmon retires. Still, these shortsighted views of him as a player hinder them from taking advantage of a market that finds him an incredibly attractive asset.
McMahon is signed through 2027 and owed about $44 million over the next three seasons. It’s a team-friendly contract considering the excellent defense he provides (including versatility) and the productive bat he brings when he clicks. It’s these very reasons why the Rockies don’t want to move him because the breakout they are waiting for will make them look quite savvy in their eyes.
The problem McMahon has faced in his Rockies career has been inconsistency. It’s been repeated that he needs to put together two whole halves of a season because he’s mostly been great offensively in the first half.
He slashed .272/.350/.447 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI in 95 games before the All-Star break. He ranked best among third basemen in most offensive categories while maintaining Gold Glove-caliber defense. Most importantly he has improved his walk rate and kept his strikeout numbers in check. However, despite a blistering start to the season, McMahon has shown signs of tapering off.
From March 28 to May 23, in a total of 49 games, McMahon batted .298/.374/.495 with nine home runs and 30 RBI. Since then, in 49 games, he has slashed .240/.337/.386 with five home runs (all of which came in June) and a meager 15 RBI while still maintaining his walk rate and strikeout numbers. Now, there are evolution factors of teams pitching to him differently and the rest of the offense not exactly clicking to give him protection, but it’s still more in line with what we’ve seen from McMahon in the past. He hasn’t hit a home run since June 22 but the current McMahon is still better offensively than he has been before.
His trade value is the highest it has ever been and there are plenty of teams that could use him in their lineup. Yet, it’s certainly in the Rockies’ prerogative to hold on to him and hope to build more around him. The problem lies in the fact that it’s dangerous to always hold on to a player because he says he wants to stay when his presence does nothing to move the needle to contention and in some cases hinders the further progression of the team. There is no guarantee that McMahon will ever replicate his success this season as there is no precedent that he can.
The Rockies desperately need to rebuild and have an influx of talent on the way that they need to find space for. Is there room for McMahon on the Rockies? Absolutely, but to disregard any notion of a trade may not be the best course of action. You can have the conversations with McMahon but the expectation could still be set that they will listen and explore and keep him informed. Now the Rockies tried to do that with Troy Tulowitzki before pulling the rug out from under him, but I believe Bill Schmidt would do better in that instance.
The youth movement is happening for the Rockies and McMahon could definitely be the leader among them. However, Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle are already here and who can say they aren’t capable of being the leaders? Charlie Condon could also be on the fast track to the big leagues and he will need a spot to play every day.
Holding on to a player for dear life in the hopes he contributes now when a trade could help your club in the future is what holds a team like the Rockies back. If they ever hope to get back to contention, they have to be willing to let go of the things they fear to lose. Otherwise, the cycle of mediocrity will continue to repeat.
Therein lies the danger of not trading Ryan McMahon.
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Get to know the Rockies 20th-round pick in the draft this year as Hunter Omlid talks about his life and career in baseball and what it means to him to be drafted by the Rockies.
Helton shows appreciation for pal Hamilton | MLB.com
Todd Helton mentioned many people in his Hall of Fame speech on Sunday but one name that might have escaped Rockies fans was the mention of “Milo.” Thomas Harding explains the friendship between Mike Hamilton and Helton.
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On the Farm
Triple-A: Round Rock Express 8, Albuquerque Isotopes 7
The Isotopes carried a 7-5 lead into the ninth inning but Matt Koch suffered the loss and a blown save after giving up three runs in the top of frame. It spoiled a solid outing by Peyton Battenfield who allowed three runs over five innings. Josh Rogers also suffered a blown save when he gave up two runs in 1 1⁄3 innings of work. The Isotopes had 12 hits as a team with Elehuris Montero throwing out three singles and driving in two runs to lead the way.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 5, Harrisburg Senators 4
Despite giving up 10 hits, Jarrod Cande coughed up just three runs over five innings of work before giving way to a bullpen that gave up just one run over the final four frames. Zach Kokoska blasted his 14th home run of the season, a grand slam in the seventh inning to give the Yard Goats the lead.
High-A: Spokane Indians 8, Eugene Emeralds 2
Sean Sullivan continued his stellar season in his 13th start of the year. On the way to his sixth win, Sullivan allowed just three hits over five innings while striking out 10 batters. Jose Cordova had a pair of hits, including a double, and drove in three runs.
Low-A: Stockton Ports 15, Fresno Grizzlies 5
It was a tough day on the mound for the Grizzlies as they gave up 15 runs on 18 hits. Isaiah Coupet coughed up eight runs in the first inning, registering just two outs before ending his day. Outside of the seven runs allowed by Jake Madden and Tyler Hoffman, the Fresno bullpen did their best to keep things from getting out of hand. Andy Perez led the day’s offensive with three hits and three runs scored. Darius Perry also had a double and home run.
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