The trade rumors have died down, but Colorado Rockies' shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is still expected to be one of the bigger names floating around as the deadline approaches. The Rockies (27-31) have recovered after a slow start, but they're not built for the long haul.
Colorado ranks seventh in the MLB with 263 runs scored, but their team ERA (4.71) ranks last. The club had the same issue last year - their offense finished third and their ERA finished last. Despite their top run production in 2014, they finished with the second-worst record (66-96) in the league.
That could very well turn out to be the case as the 2015 season progresses, which is why many executives and evaluators believe the Rockies should sell their bigger names, such as Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon, to acquire assets and help rebuild a franchise that hasn't made the postseason since 2009.
Tulowitzki said he wasn't going to request a trade from the Rockies and owner Dick Monfort was rumored to have said, "We're not trying to trade him. There's no story there," according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi. However, it's hard to believe the franchise is going to continue to handicap themselves financially with Tulowitzki's onerous contract, which pays him approximately $110 million through the 2020 season. Colorado does not have the fiscal liberty to add formidable pieces around the star shortstop with his deal and Gonzalez's deal (about $47 million through 2017) on the books.
So, we ask, will the Rockies finally budge and trade Tulo before the deadline?
"Tulowitzki, who turns 31 in the fall, is hitting .311 in 52 games. Other teams are wondering if the Rockies will merely dabble in Tulowitzki talks, or if they'll price him to sell him, to make sure they clear as much money as possible before he gets too old," writes ESPN Insider Buster Olney.
"If you're going to move him, now might be the best time to do it," one high-ranking executive with another team told Olney. "He's healthy, you've got contenders that need shortstops, and he's not too old yet."
The only scenario that would suggest the Rockies shouldn't move Tulowitzki is if they make a big run before the trade deadline and catch up to the Los Angeles Dodgers (35-25) and San Francisco Giants (34-26) in the NL West. But even then, they still might have competition with the San Diego Padres (30-31). Additionally, their pitching is certainly not built for a run down the stretch and would not survive a postseason series.
What is the team's management up to?
"Most executives we've discussed Tulowitzki with feel the Rockies are bluffing about not dealing him and that there is a market for him even with the $113 million owed to him over the next six years," Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote in late May.
Monfort and general manager Jeff Bridich are well aware there are suitors on the market, but we'll have to wait and see what their plan is as the deadline gets closer.
