Sitting 8 1/2 games out of first place in the National League East Division and seven games behind the top spot for the Wild Card, the New York Mets don’t exactly have the look of a contender. Teams that are six games under .500 and so far back in both races this time of year aren’t often looking to add pieces.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, however, Colorado Rockies stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez are in the team’s sights to help build for the future.
Landing one or both would be an incredible grab, of course. Tulowitzki brings an added premium because of his big bat as a shortstop, but securing either player would be a game-changer.
Logically, there’s good reason for Colorado to consider trading its stars. The Rockies have been a doormat in the National League West Division since 2011 and are on their way to a fourth consecutive losing season. Colorado, in fact, hasn’t even been anywhere near .500 over that time, failing to win even 75 games in any year. Despite the offensive firepower Tulowitzki and Gonzalez bring to the table, the results haven’t been all that flattering.
Colorado’s pitching staff isn’t just bad, it’s abhorrent. As good as the Rockies’ bats have been, the arms have been just as bad. The team ranks dead last in the majors with a 5.04 ERA and while part of that is because of playing at home in the thin air of Colorado, part of it is also on the pitchers. Jorge De La Rosa anchors the staff (11-6 with a 4.19 ERA), but outside of him, there’s not been much. Jordan Lyles and Brett Anderson are both promising arms, but have suffered through injuries this season. The Rockies’ staff is just extremely thin and in need of some talent.
A trade with the Mets could make sense on a lot of levels. As Sherman noted, the Mets seem like a good trade partner due to their abundance of young arms. Players such as Noah Syndergaard, Brandon Nimmo, Steven Matz, Dilson Herrera, according to Sherman, reportedly intrigue Colorado. New York also has the money to take on the large salaries of Tulowitzki and Gonzalez.
While a deal with the Mets may work, a trade is hardly a slam dunk. For starters, it will surely take a considerable sum to pry either player (let alone both) away from Colorado. Rockies owner Dick Monfort has always said his preference is to keep both Tulowitzki and Gonzalez and hasn’t been interested in seriously dealing either at this point. In addition, there’s really no rush to trade either. The Rockies have both players under contract for several more seasons and aren’t yet at the stage of needing to make a hurried deal with the risk of losing one for nothing in return.
Lastly, there’s always the possibility that Colorado tries to add pitching in offseason free agency instead of blowing their current team to pieces. The Rockies have plenty of offense and would be a dangerous team with even a little more pitching. If both Anderson and Lyles can remain healthy, the Rockies may have a decent staff in 2015. Adding even another starter to the mix could vastly change their fortunes.
There’s still time to make a deal, but the Rockies might not be ready to part with their two biggest trade chips just yet.
