MLB: Colorado Rockies Eyeing Gerardo Parra?
The market for free agent outfielders is becoming very busy after Denard Span and Alex Gordon got signed to deals with the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals, respectively. Big names like Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes are still available while Gerardo Parra is being heavily pursued by the Colorado Rockies.
According to Jon Heyman of the MLB Network, the Rockies are among the interested in teams in the two-time Gold Glove winning outfielder. The 28-year-old started his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009 and won the Gold Glove in 2011 and 2013.
He was then traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2014 Trade Deadline before being traded this past season to the Baltimore Orioles, playing 55 games with them. Parra has a career batting average of .277 with 920 hits, 56 home runs, and 616 strikeouts while also playing more than 130 games in the past six seasons, per Baseball Reference.
In a report by the Denver Post, Parra is reportedly seeking a multiyear contract, but the Rockies have to deal trade first Carlos Gonzalez to free up money. The Venezuelan could command a three-year, $27 million contract or closer to Span's $31 million deal with the Giants. Colorado has placed Gonzalez in the trading block and is owed $37 million for the next two seasons.
The post also added that the Rockies want an accomplished starting pitcher or a top pitching prospect plus a reliever for "CarGo." The team is selling high on Gonzalez, who is coming from a 40-home run season and is a just entering his baseball prime.
Colorado is also listening to trade offers for their other outfielders in Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson. Blackmon is hitting arbitration for the first time while Dickerson is still a year away from arbitration eligibility and is under club control for four more years.
SB Nation reports that Parra is a good fit with the Rockies as he can be a productive option in both corner outfield spots if the Colorado makes a trade. However, it is noted that he'll be "out of place" in Coors Field's huge center field.
Besides the Rockies, the Washington Nationals have been in contact with Parra as they are looking to add a center fielder and a replacement for Span. They still have 24-year-old center fielder Michael Taylor, but the belief inside the organization is that he's not ready to be an everyday outfielder, per MLB.com.
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