Forget about Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. If the losing continues, the Colorado Rockies may opt to trade other contributors as well, with one of them being outfielder Charlie Blackmon. The Los Angeles Angels are in need of such a player and the two teams could eventually be trade partners.
A couple of days ago Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported Angels' general manager Jerry Dipoto was looking to upgrade the team's offense, specifically with a left-handed power bat. A number of names were thrown out there for a potential trade in the past (immediately after Josh Hamilton was traded), but Blackmon is now the latest.
"Another guy I was thinking about was Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies," ESPN Insider Buster Olney said on the Baseball Tonight Podcast. "A scout was telling me the other day how much he likes Blackmon and how well he's playing right now. At some point, the Rockies have to find a way to get pitching because their situation is a mess. And maybe Blackmon, at 28 years old, this is the time for the Rockies to move him."
Blackmon is batting .292/.347/.513 with 14 runs scored, 5 home runs and 14 RBIs in 28 games this season and he's under club control through the 2018 season. He would be an interesting trade option for the Angels because Dipoto wouldn't have to sell the farm to get him (as Olney compared to Brewers' outfielder Carlos Gonzalez) while the Rockies could get a decent return and help their ailing pitching staff.
Los Angeles is stacked with young pitching talent. According to Baseball America, nine of the team's top 10 prospects are pitchers, and that was before the Angels acquired prospect Andrew Heaney in the offseason. Sean Newcomb, Ricardo Sanchez, Cam Bedrosian, Chris Ellis, Joey Gatto, Victor Alcantara, Jairo Diaz, Nick Tropeano and Kyle McGowin are among those names and would likely appeal to Colorado if the Angels were to express interest in Blackmon.
Yesterday we suggested Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon and Blackmon's teammate, Carlos Gonzalez, but there are a few problems with them. First off, Gordon may not ever be made available in a trade. It all depends how the Royals gauge the situation with the outfielder's potential impending free agency, and if they keep winning they probably won't even think about making such a move.
As for Gonzalez, he could still be a candidate, but his awful campaign this far may have interested clubs worried about inheriting his contract and injury history. The 29-year-old is owed over $50 through the 2017 season and has played in only 208 games since the beginning of the 2013 season due to a couple of surgeries and other injuries.
The Angels will need to make a move if the struggling offense fails to produce within the next couple of months. Keep an eye out for Blackmon to be a legitimate trade candidate.
