The Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays completed a four player trade on Thursday, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported.
Two Major Leaguers are involved in the trade. Outfielder Corey Dickerson is headed to the Rays in the deal, and relief pitcher Jake McGee heads to the Rockies. Two minor league prospects, one from each team, are involved in the deal as well. High-A right-hander German Marquez is Rockies-bound. The Rays are receiving Single-A third baseman Kevin Padlo. This swap had already been mentioned as a possibility earlier this week. Rosenthal and Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported a that the Rockies might be more inclined to deal Dickerson as compared to other outfielders Carlos Gonzalez or Charlie Blackmon. Topkin even mentioned McGee as a possible target for Colorado. This is a curious trade from the Rockies perspective. I wrote a column two days ago about what Colorado's course of action is. A back-end relief pitcher is a luxury for a non-contending team, but yet the Rockies went out and got one in McGee. The Rockies have revamped their bullpen this offseason, signing free agent righties Chad Qualls and Jason Motte and now going out and getting McGee. Last year, the team had the highest bullpen ERA in the Majors, so they established that as a need this offseason and went out and got three new relievers. McGee, 29, has little closing experience in Tampa Bay, but is one of the most dominant relief pitchers in the game. He went 1-2 last year and sported a 2.41 ERA and a 48 to 8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 37 1/3 innings, adding six saves in 10 opportunities. McGee missed the beginning of the 2015 season due to minor elbow surgery. In giving up a good relief pitcher, the Rays got four seasons of control of outfielder Corey Dickerson. He slides right into the heart of their order and will likely play right field. The 26-year-old Dickerson, who does not become a free agent until after the 2019 season, broke out in 2014. Like McGee, Dickerson missed time this season, his injuries coming in the form of plantar fasciitis and two fractured ribs. Last year, Dickerson hit .304/.333/.536 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs in 234 plate appearances. He was worth 0.5 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs. The Rays are basically turning two years of control of McGee into four years of control of Dickerson. --Devan Fink
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The Colorado Rockies are in serious talks with free agent right-hander Yovani Gallardo, reports Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. Saunders adds that no offer is on the table quite yet.
Many teams had been connected to Gallardo throughout the offseason, but he had reportedly narrowed suitors down to the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Colorado. If a deal gets done, the Rockies would be forced to give up their second round draft pick. Gallardo was offered a qualifying offer from the Rangers at the beginning of the offseason, but rejected it. The Rockies' first round pick is protected. Gallardo would be a good fit in Colorado, as the team's projected rotation is nothing special. As of right now, the Rockies would have Jorge De La Rosa leading their staff, with Chad Bettis, Jordan Lyles, Jon Gray, and Tyler Chatwood rounding out the rest. Gallardo would be a veteran presence in a rotation that definitely needs one. The soon-to-be 30-year-old Gallardo went 13-11 with a 3.42 ERA and a 121 to 68 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 184 1/3 innings pitched with Texas last year. His 124 ERA+ was the best of his career (minimum 5 games). Pitching in Coors Field, arguably the best hitter's park in the Major Leagues, could be a struggle for Gallardo. However, he is a good ground ball pitcher and may be able to avoid giving up loads of home runs. Last season, his fly ball rate was the 21st-lowest among starting pitchers in the Major Leagues. A deal is not done, though. Negotiations are ongoing between Gallardo and the Rockies, with other teams likely in the mix too. -Devan Fink
The Colorado Rockies haves signed outfielder Gerardo Parra to a three-year, $27.5 million deal, as Wilmer Reina and Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported. The deal includes a $12 million option for a fourth season with a buyout of $1.5 million.
The Rockies were in the mix on Parra from the start, joining the Nationals, Angels, Orioles, and Royals who all showed interest at one time or another. With the addition, Colorado now has a surplus of outfield pieces and could look to move Charlie Blackmon or even Carlos Gonzalez in a trade. In fact, the Tigers and Orioles are already reportedly in trade talks, meaning something could come together rather quickly. Parra has spent significant time at all three outfield spots.
The Colorado Rockies announced that they have declined their half of first baseman Justin Morneau's 2016 mutual option.
Morneau had a $9 million option, but because the Rockies declined the payment, he will be paid a $750,000 buyout. Morneau has been with the Rockies for each of the past two seasons after signing a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the club during the 2013-2014 offseason. The 34-year-old hit .310/.363/.458 with three home runs and 15 RBIs over 182 plate appearances this season. He missed most of this season due to a concussion and a neck injury. The 2014 batting champion has been injury prone throughout his career and has not played 150+ games since 2013. Morneau will become a free agent and could find himself looking for a one-year deal to perhaps rebuild his value. The Marlins, Mariners, and Rays were at the bottom in the Majors in fWAR from first basemen last season, so each of those teams could make some sense for Morneau as a free agent. --Devan Fink
The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported early Tuesday morning.
Shortstop Jose Reyes and top prospects Jeff Hoffman and Miguel Castro will head to the Rockies, reports Rosenthal, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, and Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Heyman also reported that Jesus Tinoco is going to Colorado. The Blue Jays also acquired reliever LaTroy Hawkins from the Rockies as part of the agreement, Rosenthal adds. Tulowitzki will receive $2 million as an assignment bonus for being traded. With the deal, his contract now becomes a no-trade clause into the future. This deal comes as a complete shocker to the baseball world, as it was considered extremely unlikely that the Rockies were going to trade Tulowitzki. He was a cornerstone of their team and has an extremely large guaranteed salary over the next five seasons. Tulowitzki is owed $94 million from 2016 until his contract expires following the 2020 season. He has a team option for 2021 that is worth $15 million with a $4 million buyout. Basically, he is guaranteed $98 million over five years. The Blue Jays, in acquiring Tulowitzki, make their already league-leading offense in many categories, including runs per game, that much better. Tulowitzki is an instant upgrade over Reyes, being worth 0.2 more wins above replacement, and having a wRC+ that is 17 points higher. Tulowitzki, this season, is hitting .305/.353/.478 with 12 homers and 52 runs batted in over 346 plate appearances. The five-time All-Star has battled injuries over his career, but playing on the turf in Toronto might not help him stay healthy. That'll be interesting to watch for over the rest of the season and into next year. The Jays also acquired the relief pitcher that they have been coveting in Hawkins. While not a flashy reliever, Hawkins' stats have been good, pitching to a 2-1 record with a 3.63 ERA in 22 1/3 innings pitched. His 2.94 xFIP suggests that Hawkins has been outperforming his performance and the 42-year-old could be even better down the stretch than he is now. It took a lot to pry the Rockies away from a controlled Tulowitzki, including two of the upper echelon prospects in the Blue Jays' system. Hoffman ranked as the No. 3 prospect with Toronto, Castro ranked No. 5, and Tinoco ranked No. 29. The Rockies' farm system gets immediately better with the inclusion of the three right-handers. It's hard to know if they do get the better of this specific deal, as only Castro has touched the Majors, but they definitely do get deeper in their farm system, which is all the Rockies can ask for as a rebuilding team. The most interesting part of the deal was Reyes heading to Colorado. It is possible that the Rockies try and flip him, as it would be easier to get a deal done for him than it was for Tulowitzki. Reyes still has two years left on his deal, but probably won't be with Colorado by the next time they contend. Many teams could be interested in Reyes, most notably the Mets, who have coveted infield help for most of this month. With just a few days left until the trade deadline, all this will have to come together fast. In our first blockbuster of the season, the Blue Jays and Rockies did not disappoint, moving one of the game's brightest stars in Tulowitzki out to Canada to become Toronto's shortstop. --Devan Fink |
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