Earlier in the offseason Colorado Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said he would entertain trade talks for stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. Is it possible the two are gone by the 2015 trade deadline?
Team owner Dick Monfort has reiterated both Tulowitzki and Gonzalez would not be on the move despite their injury troubles over the past few seasons - Tulo has played in only 264 games over the past three seasons and CarGo just 180 in the past two. They both underwent season-ending surgeries in 2014 and the Rockies tumbled to a 66-96 record.
"The plan is to keep them," Monfort told the Denver Post after the 2013 season. "Next year, yes. And my plan is to always keep them. Is that the smartest thing in the world to do? I don't know. But for our fans, I think it's the best thing to do."
"The best thing for the fans" likely translates to "ticket and merchandise sales," but such trades might be necessary to more effectively plan for the future in a competitive NL West division, which would ultimately make the fans happier. Yes, Tulowitzki and Gonzalez are among the most gifted and talented players in the game, but the Rockies have missed the playoffs in each of the past five seasons and had only one season with a winning record over that span.
Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes, "It's conceivable that come August, the Rockies could be without Tulo, CarGo and Justin Morneau. The window to win with those stars is closing fast. The future could very well be built around the likes of Nolan Arenado, Corey Dickerson and Jon Gray."
It makes sense because if Tulowitzki and Gonzalez proved they're healthy enough to perform at the level they're capable, their trade value will increase and other teams will be calling the Rockies about potential deals. Although their offensive production is some of the best around, scoring runs wasn't the Rockies problem in 2014 - they ranked third in the league in runs scored (755).
The problem was their pitching staff, most notably the starting rotation.
Colorado's ERA as a whole was 4.84, which was good enough for last in the MLB. Their starting rotation ranked 29th with a 4.89 ERA and their bullpen was also 29th with a 4.79 ERA. They have an inexperienced starting rotation and clearly lack an ace to lead their staff, which is one glaring need the team needs to address. They've already improved their veteran presence behind the plate and are planning on moving Wilin Rosario to either first base or right field (occupied by Morneau and Gonzalez) while they put a combination of Nick Hundley and Mike McKenry at catcher.
"We are at a point where we've got to turn it around," said manager Walt Weiss earlier in the offseason. "The reality of it is, if it doesn't happen this year, yeah, you're probably looking at going a different way at that point."
This may foreshadow significant trades if the team underperforms again in 2015.
