The Colorado Rockies are being “open-minded” about trading outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.
The report about Gonzalez isn’t surprising, as he’s been floated around as a trade candidates for multiple seasons. Long considered one of the elite outfielders in the game, the two-time All-Star has struggled with injuries and logged more than 140 games just twice in his seven seasons with Colorado.
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Nonetheless, the 30-year-old is a career .290 hitter and is coming off a 40-home run season. He has two years and $37-million remaining on his deal, which is more than reasonable for a player of Gonzalez’s caliber. The question would be whether the Rockies are seeking big-league ready pitching or prospects to join Brendan Rodgers in a full-blown rebuilding effort.
The news on Blackmon is more surprising, though not surprising. Like Gonzalez, the 28-year-old is coming off a career year and could be sold off while his value is sky high. Blackmon hit .287 in 2015 with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs and 43 stolen bases.
A club like the Indians could bite on the pair, with the clubs swapping the two for a pair of Cleveland’s young arms. The Mets could also be interested in one of the two, as they look to replace the bat of Yoenis Cespedes for a relatively affordable price. The Braves are reportedly looking at outfielders, and could be interested in a controllable talent like Blackmon.
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With the presence of Nolan Arenado and Corey Dickerson, the club certainly has big-league talent, though an impending suspension for Jose Reyes could give the front office more incentive to start a large-scale rebuild. If Gonzalez and Blackmon are both moved, one has to wonder whether Arenado, Dickerson, D.J. LeMahieu and others would begin appearing in trade rumors as well.