Colorado Rockies have the talent to acquire pitcher Gerrit Cole

1 of 4

Trade talks between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees for Gerrit Cole appear to have stalled. If the Yankees don’t act quickly, the Colorado Rockies should offer the Pirates a package.

Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole is the most prominent name on the trade block. It’s none other than the New York Yankees who are after the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher.

From what we can all muster, the trade hasn’t happened yet because the Yankees aren’t willing to part with what the Pirates want. Namely, it’s shortstop Gleyber Torres they are after.

Before Shohei Ohtani joined the MLB, Torres was regarded as the top prospect in baseball. The high-profile talent has a chance to begin the 2018 season on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.

Even after missing a large chunk of 2017 due to Tommy John Surgery, the Yankees are sure he can contribute to the big league club soon.

The Pirates know how great Torres can become which is a big reason why Cole remains in Pittsburgh.

Shortstop is a need for the Pirates, and I don’t blame them for holding out as long as they can. There’s no following reason to dump Cole without getting the players they want. Should the Yankees refuse to include a shortstop, the Pirates should get on the phone with the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies have the talent to acquire Cole. They will also see their window for winning close after the 2018 season. Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu are both free agents after the upcoming season. There’s no telling where this team will go after that so to go all in this year makes a whole lot of sense.

Why the Colorado Rockies Need Gerrit Cole

Apparently, pitching is the area the Colorado Rockies could improve the most. The Rockies were quite lucky to see several of its starters pitch very well last season. Kyle Freeland, Jon Gray, and German Marquez all finished the year with 10+ wins and an ERA below 4.40. In Coors Field terms, this is outstanding.

Gray managed to do the best with a 3.67 ERA for the season. He also posted a 10-4 record in 20 starts. The season he put together may have placed him in a position to start on Opening Day for the Rockies when next season opens.

The best takeaway from these pitchers is that all three names mentioned above took the field last year in their age 25 seasons or younger.

I didn’t even include Antonio Senzatela whose late-season struggles put his ERA in the high 4.00s. When a team has so many young arms playing well, it’s essential to take advantage.

For the first time in a long time though, the Rockies seem like a well-rounded franchise that can win with its pitching. Last season’s bullpen played remarkably well. We should expect similar results in 2018 as they seem interested in maintaining a stable relief corps.

Still, this is a franchise that is missing one element: a true ace. Now that Tyler Chatwood is officially a member of the Chicago Cubs, it’s worth pursuing someone else with a little more experience to round out the rotation. Cole looks to have those intangibles.

A Package of Colorado Rockies Players to Acquire Gerrit Cole

Any trade involving the Colorado Rockies should begin with shortstop Trevor Story. After his impressive 2016 rookie campaign, Story put up less stellar statistics in 2017. They have prospect Brendan Rodgers already knocking on the big league door and enough reason to move Story and his often one-dimensional style of play.

Along with Story, one of last year’s young starters should go with Pittsburgh if only to open up room.

Take your pick between Marquez, Freeland, and Senzatela. One of them has to go in any deal to acquire a number one like Cole. The Rockies wouldn’t have room for all of them anyway with the acquisition of Cole.

The Rockies would still need to give up more than Story and a starter if they want Gerrit Cole pitching for them in Denver next year. With two spots on the MLB roster cleared, it’s time to plunder the minor leagues.

One of the Rockies top five prospects would need to see his name included. Pitcher Riley Pint played so badly in 2017 it’s a risk for either team. The team’s other top pitching prospects, Peter Lambert and Ryan Castellani didn’t do all that much better. As the fourth overall draft pick in 2016, Pint carries far more weight. For the sake of putting together the best deal possible, let’s assume it’s him.

Finally, the make sure the Yankees can’t come back with anything better, the Rockies can include third base prospect Colton Welker. It’s not as if Welker has any future with the Rockies while Nolan Arenado is around. It may even become a terrible place to find at-bats with him out of the picture thanks to Colorado’s depth.

Is it enough?

To wrap it all up, the Pirates would receive Trevor Story, a young MLB pitcher who is practically a prospect, a nearly top 50 pitching prospect, and an organization’s number four prospect. Is it enough to acquire the game’s number one player on the trade block?

More from Call to the Pen

If I’m the Pirates, it all depends on where the future lies and what the Yankees are offering. A willingness to compete soon might make this a deal worth considering.

They get needed power from Story, a chance to replace Cole with a younger arm, and two minor leaguers who could contribute within the next few seasons.

To me, it looks like a pretty favorable deal for the Pirates and helps give the Rockies a chance to win before the band breaks up after 2018.

All trade talks could cease immediately if the Yankees were to include Torres or the Rockies ponied up and traded Rodgers.

The moment any squad consists of a top ten prospect in a trade proposal for Cole he’s out of town.

Next: Seinfeld Festivus for the rest of us: Airing our MLB grievances

That said, I’m not sure Cole is worth a top ten prospect. For a team like the Rockies, they must remain cautious in their pursuit of pitching. Even if Cole is the best guy out there, he may not match up as well with their future. A phone call to the Pirates can’t hurt.

Home / Colorado Rockies