MLB Trade Rumors: Colorado Rockies Still Looking for Best Possible Deal for Carlos Gonzalez
The Colorado Rockies have placed star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez on trading block with a lot of teams showing interest this offseason. However, the Rockies can't find the best possible deal and are still looking for the right pieces.
In a report by Thomas Harding of MLB.com, the Rockies are reportedly looking for a young starter with MLB experience or a top starting pitching prospect in addition to a hard-throwing reliever in exchange for the 30-year-old outfielder.
The Rockies wanted left-handed starter Hector Santiago and reliever Trevor Gott from the Los Angeles Angels, but talks stopped when Gott was sent to the Washington Nationals in the Yunel Escobar trade on Dec. 10. The team also had discussions with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox, but no deal was reached.
Colorado reportedly sought Kevin Gausman from the Orioles, but Baltimore was not interested in letting him go, while the Indians and the Rockies had talks involving Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. On the other hand, the White Sox did not want to part ways with Jose Quintana whom the Rockies wanted.
Harding added that the St. Louis Cardinals inquired about Gonzalez after losing Jason Heyward to the Chicago Cubs. However, the Rockies wanted Colorado-native Marco Gonzales, but the Cardinals were not ready to let the left-handed starter go.
St. Louis could revisit the deal with the Rockies as they have already signed Mike Leake to a contract that could open up the possibility of Gonzalez going to the Cardinals. The Purple Row also noted that the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays have the right prospects and need to acquire the 30-year-old slugger.
According to Baseball Reference, Gonzalez started the season very slow but had a great second half to finish with a .271 batting average, 40 home runs and 97 RBIs. He is in his prime with the ability to hit for power and has good defense with a reasonable price of $37 million for two years.
However, teams will be cautious with Gonzalez due to his injury history, as he only played 180 games in the 2013 and 2014 season combined due. His split stats also show a sign of risk because he has a great on-base plus slugging percentage at Coors Field with .952 while only .780 away from Colorado.
If teams want other options, the Rockies have also put the rest of their outfield for sale including Corey Dickerson and Charlie Blackmon. The free agent market still has Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon, and Justin Upton left unsigned.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com