Colorado Rockies: Trade with Mets Possible?

The Colorado Rockies need to actively pursue trading Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Reyes before the beginning of the 2016 season.

The Colorado Rockies made it blatantly obvious that the team is, once again, in a rebuilding season after trading superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki for Jose Reyes and a trio of prospects. The trade did not make much sense besides the fact that the Colorado Rockies upgraded their farm system by adding pitching prospect depth. Outside of Jon Gray and Jeff Hoffman, the Colorado Rockies lack future front-end rotation arms for the future; however, the Colorado Rockies possess some key trade pieces to further their rebuilding process, like Jose Reyes and Carlos Gonzalez (and even D.J. LeMahieu).

With the Colorado Rockies in total rebuild mode, the team needs to trade their aging stars and getting younger as an organization. Also, it is tough to rely on pitching prospects to carry your team to contention, especially if none of the pitching prospects are sure-fire studs. Many people question Jon Gray’s ability to be the team’s ace of the future, and Jeff Hoffman is relatively unknown, especially with Tommy John surgery in his past. Thus, the Colorado Rockies must look to acquire young, MLB-ready pitching talent for their aging stars. Also, the Colorado Rockies do not need to wait to trade Gonzalez or Reyes, because their value, at this stage of their careers, is highly volatile.

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In 2015, Carlos Gonzalez rejuvenated his trade value with a massive 40 home run, 97 RBI season. The season prior, Gonzalez’s value was at an all-time low, after he hit just .238 and missed 92 games due to injury and subsequent surgery. With his trade value swinging in the Colorado Rockies’ favor this past season, the team cannot sit on their hands in this situation. Numerous contenders, around the league, would love to have Carlos Gonzalez on their roster, because powerful left-handed bats are hard to come by these days, especially those with 30-plus home run potential year-in, year-out. However, the only downside to Carlos Gonzalez is his injury history, which might give reason for some teams to shy away.

One team loaded with a bevy of young, talented pitching is the New York Mets. The top-five projected pitchers in their rotation are all under the age of 26, with Matt Harvey being the oldest out of the bunch. The Colorado Rockies are unlikely to land Matt Harvey, so that leaves Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Zack Wheeler. Like Harvey, deGrom is likely in the untouchable realm after he put together an outstanding 2015 season, and he showed his true value by dominating in the playoffs. Some believe teams want Jacob deGrom more than Matt Harvey, especially with Harvey undergoing Tommy John surgery two seasons ago.

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With Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey likely off the table, that leaves the bottom-three starters open for trade talks. Although they are not the Mets’ aces, they possess the ability to be an ace for, pretty much, any team outside of the team they are currently on. Syndergaard, Matz, or Wheeler easily become the Colorado Rockies’ go-to arm if they can land one of them. The New York Mets are unlikely to re-sign Yoenis Cespedes due to his high price tag; thus, the Colorado Rockies need to offer Carlos Gonzalez to the Mets to fill their void for next season. The Mets’ offense struggled mightily before acquiring Cespedes, and there is reason to believe that might be the case next season.

In addition to the Mets likely losing Cespedes, they probably lose Daniel Murphy to free agency as well. Thus, the Mets have a whole to fill at second base, and that is where Jose Reyes comes into the mix. Jose Reyes began his MLB career with the New York Mets, and although he is on the decline, he makes for an above-average second baseman. Similar to what the Chicago Cubs did with Starlin Castro, the New York Mets can do with Jose Reyes. Reyes struggled to handle shortstop this past season, so a move to second base might help Reyes’ longevity in the MLB, both from a health and performance standpoint.

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The Colorado Rockies do not want to let Carlos Gonzalez or Jose Reyes go cheap; thus, a trade with with the Mets allows the Rockies to get some crucial value out of their aging stars. The Mets probably deal just one of their top pitchers on the MLB roster, but they could add in some pitching prospects to further bolster the Colorado Rockies’ farm system. Gabriel Ynoa jumps off the page in the Mets’ farm system. He possess superb control, owning a career walk rate (BB/9) lower than 1.5. Therefore, if the Mets package Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, or Zack Wheeler with Gabriel Ynoa or Marcos Molina, the Colorado Rockies might justify trading Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Reyes.

The New York Mets need to add some offense this offseason, and this presents one of the best option moving forward. The Colorado Rockies need to get as much value as they can out of their older stars, because it does not make sense for them to partially commit to a total overhaul. If the Colorado Rockies deal Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Reyes, there is no turning back, which is a good thing for the team moving forward. Also, Jose Reyes presents no real value to the Colorado Rockies. He has an ugly contract (worse than Troy Tulowitzki), and the Colorado Rockies have Trevor Story waiting to assume the everyday shortstop role for the future.

Next: Colorado Rockies: Future Trade Partner with Braves?

The Colorado Rockies need to commit to their rebuilding process, because they cannot contend for a playoff push until they do so. Look for the Colorado Rockies to shop Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Reyes this offseason. Moreover, the Colorado Rockies have players in-waiting for both of their positions; thus, Car-Go and Reyes are expendable options on the team. Also, this move would free up cap space for the future, so if the Colorado Rockies were in contention, they could look to add a solid free agent or trade for a player to help make a push. The Colorado Rockies need to make something happen quick.

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