The Colorado Rockies are reportedly considering adding Mark Trumbo’s bat to an already potent lineup. Where would he fit, and what would the signing mean?
The Colorado Rockies are not exactly begging for more offense. This season they finished second in baseball with 845 runs scored, a .794 OPS and 2,568 total bases, trailing only the Red Sox in each category. They also placed 10th with 204 home runs as a team.
The Rox may feel that you can’t have too much of a good thing, however, as they are evidently maintaining interest in free agent slugger Mark Trumbo. MLB Network and FOX Sports insider Jon Paul Morosi has the details:
Sources: #Rockies showing continued interest in Mark Trumbo; clarity on his market likely to come during winter meetings. @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 3, 2016
Trumbo led both leagues with 47 homers this year. He has shown legitimate power throughout his career, averaging 30 long balls a season from 2011 to 2016, and eclipsing the 30-homer mark in 2012, 2013 and 2016. Most are aware, though, that Trumbo doesn’t bring much else to the table aside from his prodigious home run swing. He has a lifetime .251 batting average and .303 on-base percentage.
Though he set personal bests with his 47 round-trippers and 108 RBI this season, Trumbo also posted a 25.5 percent strikeout rate. That’s very much in line with his career average, which stands at 25.0 percent through seven big league campaigns. Trumbo’s limitations in the field as an outfielder and first baseman are also well-known.
However, it’s hard not to get starry-eyed thinking about what Trumbo could do in hitter-friendly Coors Field. While his 2016 home run total may have been a bit fluky (24.6 percent HR/FB ratio), 50+ in the mountain air doesn’t seem completely outlandish.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
The Rockies didn’t lack for home run production this season. Nolan Arenado led the squad with 41, while Charlie Blackmon slugged 29, rookie Trevory Story added 27, and Carlos Gonzalez belted 25. Adding a Mark Trumbo to the mix would make an already formidable lineup even more potent.
While Trumbo makes the most sense as a team’s primary DH, an NL club like the Rockies could stick him at first base in hopes of minimizing his defensive shortcomings. Currently, the Rockies have Gerardo Parra and Jordan Patterson as options at first base with Mark Reynolds, Ben Paulsen and Daniel Descalso all free agents. Trumbo could solidify the position and let Parra be used in the outfield or elsewhere as needed.
Colorado’s interest in Trumbo could also signal their readiness to finally trade Carlos Gonzalez. He is signed for one more year and has been the subject of rumors and speculation for a while now. Bringing in Trumbo would offer power-hitting insurance in case the Rox end up dealing CarGo, this offseason or at next year’s trade deadline.
Considering the factors at play in the Rockies’ home ballpark and how difficult it has traditionally been for them to put together an effective pitching staff there, it’s tempting to just build a stacked offense and try to slug your way to victory. That is generally an unsustainable model, but teams like the Orioles have had success relying mainly on their bats recently.
Next: Rockies Top 10 Prospects for 2017
Aside from the previously mentioned names, the club also has 22-year-old outfielder David Dahl on the rise. He made his major league debut this season and is expected to be a legitimate power-speed combo.
Whether the Rockies bolster their lineup even further by adding Mark Trumbo – and what moves could follow such a signing – remains to be seen.