Colorado Rockies

Less than one year after signing Nolan Arenado to a contract extension, the Colorado Rockies are reportedly listening to trade offers for the five-time All-Star.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Rockies are "gauging interest" in Arenado and assessing his trade value, but people in the industry are "skeptical" a deal will happen during the offseason.

Prior to the winter meetings, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported multiple teams had called Colorado to discuss Arenado, but those talks "went nowhere."

Rosenthal noted the Texas Rangers are among the teams that have spoken to the Rockies about their star third baseman, and the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers have "longstanding interest" in him. 

Even though Arenado hasn't publicly asked for a trade, he voiced his displeasure late in the year with where the Rockies were at in the standings. The 28-year-old told The Athletic's Nick Groke in September that 2019 "feels like a rebuild."

Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, the Rockies went 71-91 last season. Their 958 runs allowed were the fourth-most in franchise history.

Colorado made Arenado its centerpiece player last February by signing him to an eight-year, $260 million extension. The deal does include an opt out after the 2021 season, which would allow him to become a free agent at the age of 30. 

In seven seasons, Arenado has established himself as one of the best all-around players in MLB. He's won seven straight Gold Glove awards at third base and owns a .295/.351/.546 slash line with 227 homers in 1,031 career games. 

The Colorado Rockies are reportedly "willing to listen" to trade offers for third baseman Nolan Arenado ahead of the 2020 season.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported the update Wednesday and noted the Rockies have received "many calls" about Arenado since last season's trade deadline. However, Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported, "it's unclear if there is any traction in talks."

The five-time All-Star controls his own future with a full no-trade clause in the eight-year, $260 million contract he signed with Colorado in February.

Arenado has emerged as a perennial MVP candidate for the Rockies during a five-year stretch where he's averaged 39.8 home runs. He's won four straight Silver Slugger Awards and has also shined in the field with seven consecutive Gold Glove Awards.

The 28-year-old California native is coming off a 2019 campaign where he posted a .315/.379/.583 triple-slash line with 41 homers across 155 games. His .962 OPS ranked ninth among qualified MLB hitters.

Although his numbers rank among the league's best—he's eighth in WAR (26.9) since the start of 2015, per FanGraphs—his splits could generate concern among interested teams.

Here are his career numbers through 514 home games and 515 road games:

• Home: .324 average, .995 OPS, 129 homers
• Road: .265 average, .799 OPS, 98 homers

On a more positive note, he compiled a .867 OPS with 20 longballs away from Coors Field in 2019. That type of offensive production combined with elite defense would make him a substantial upgrade at third base for most teams.

It's a hot-button position this offseason with Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson among the most discussed free agents, especially with elite starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg now off the board.

Teams may wait to see where Rendon and Donaldson land before switching focus to trades. But Arenado could become a prime target for the clubs that miss out on those stars and, given the high number of teams looking for an answer at the hot corner, the Rockies should command a sky-high price.

He'd be a perfect fit for a contender like the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies depending on how the rest of the offseason plays out.

Although there has been no indication that the Colorado Rockies plan to trade superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado, he is reportedly generating interest.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, "multiple teams" have called the Rockies to express interest in Arenado, but the talks "went nowhere."

The Rockies signed Arenado to an eight-year, $260 million contract last year, but since he has an opt-out clause after the 2021 season, it is possible the Rockies could lose him to free agency.

Given what he has accomplished over the past five seasons, the argument can be made the Arenado is the best player in baseball regardless of position.

The 28-year-old has been named to five All-Star teams in a row. He also won four Silver Sluggers at third base and has won the National League Gold Glove at third in each of his seven MLB seasons. Arenado is a three-time Platinum Glove winner as well, which is given to the best all-around defender in the majors.

Playing half his games at Coors Field has undoubtedly helped Arenado's numbers just like previous Rockies stars such as Larry Walker and Todd Helton, but his stats are undeniable. Over the past five campaigns, Arenado has never hit worse than .287 or clubbed fewer than 37 home runs and 110 RBI.

That includes three seasons with at least 40 home runs and three seasons with at least 130 RBI. He led the NL in both homers and RBI in 2015 and 2016, and last season he hit a career-best .315 with 41 home runs and 118 RBI.

Despite those numbers, Arenado has never finished better than third in the NL MVP voting, but he has been eighth or better in five consecutive seasons. The Coors Field stigma and the fact that Colorado only made the playoffs in two of those five seasons likely played into it.

Trading for Arenado would be a something of a risk for any team for multiple reasons, the biggest of which is the opt-out clause that could allow him to become a free agent after two more seasons.

His home/road splits differ significantly. While he has hit .324 with 129 home runs and 446 RBI during his career at Coors Field, he has hit just .265 with 98 homers and 288 RBI otherwise despite appearing in one more road game (516) than home game (515).

Even without Arenado, the Rockies have a fairly stacked lineup that includes Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story, Daniel Murphy and Ian Desmond. Hitting never has and likely never will be an issue for Colorado.

The Rockies' biggest need is starting pitching that can thrive in the thin Colorado air. If the Rockies believe they can land such starters in an Arenado trade, then the possibility is at least worth exploring.

The Colorado Rockies will be without starting pitcher Jon Gray for the remainder of the season.

On Wednesday, the Rockies announced they placed Gray on the 60-day injured list due to a left foot fracture.

They selected right-handed pitcher Tim Melville from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move, and he will start Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in place of Gray.

This setback is all the more unfortunate for Gray because he was in the middle of a bounce-back season.

He has a 3.84 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 150 strikeouts in 150 innings this year after posting a 5.12 ERA in 2018. The right-hander has resembled the version of himself who finished the 2017 season with a 3.67 ERA, and much of it is due to impressive showings at home.

Gray has a 3.46 ERA at home and 4.22 ERA on the road, which is all the more notable because the Rockies play in hitter-friendly Coors Field.

As for Melville, he hasn't pitched at the major league level since the 2017 campaign when he was a member of the San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins. He hasn't exactly been dominant in the minor leagues this year either with a 5.42 ERA, but he can serve as a spot starter for a team that is in last place in the National League West.

The 57-69 Rockies are playing out the string at this point, meaning Gray's health for the start of next season is the priority.

Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl has been placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering a high ankle sprain in his right ankle during Friday night's game against the San Francisco Giants, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com.

Dahl had to be carted off the field in the top of the sixth inning after suffering the injury, which occurred as he attempted to stop his momentum after slightly overrunning a fly ball.

X-rays taken Friday night came back negative, per MLB.com's Jenny Cavnar, but Harding reported an MRI performed Saturday confirmed a sprain.

Colorado manager Bud Black noted on Friday that it appeared as though Dahl had been lucky the injury wasn't more serious, per ESPN News Services:

"Anytime a guy goes down and it looks bad, I think there's a sickening feeling amongst all of us. You hate to see those things happen to your own, and David has been so instrumental in the middle of our order, playing good defense. You just hate to see that happen ... but it could have been worse."

It's just the latest tough luck for Dahl on the injury front. He missed the entire 2017 campaign with a stress reaction in his ribs, and he missed more than two months last year with a broken right foot.

The 25-year-old was in the midst of his finest season to date, hitting .302/.353/.524 with 15 home runs, 28 doubles, five triples and 61 RBI in 100 games. He had been hitting especially well at hitter-friendly Coors Field this year, slashing .349/.402/.598 with an OPS of 1.000 in 52 home games.

That overall performance led to his first All-Star selection.

Losing Dahl will be a tough blow for the Rockies. Dahl had made at least one appearance in every spot in the lineup, though he spent the majority of the time in the heart of the order. Meanwhile, his versatility had allowed the team to use him where needed, as he had made 24-plus appearances in each of the three outfield spots this season.

Colorado (51-59) is currently 7.5 games back in the National League wild-card race.

Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl suffered a gruesome ankle injury while making a catch during Friday night's game against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field in Denver.

Dahl, who was selected for his first MLB All-Star Game last month, was carted off the field.

Ian Desmond entered the Rockies' lineup in his place.

Dahl entered the night with a .302/.353/.526 slash line and 15 home runs in 99 appearances. His .879 OPS ranked 17th in the National League.

The 25-year-old Alabama native's rise into an everyday player for Colorado had been delayed on several occasions because of injuries.

"I've been hurt a lot early in my career, and a lot of crazy things have happened," Dahl told reporters in early July. "But I've persevered through them, and it just makes you realize how much you love playing."

Desmond, who'd been starting in left field as of late, is likely being shifted back to center for as long as Dahl is sidelined. Garrett Hampson and Raimel Tapia are probably going to split the extra playing time.

The Colorado Rockies "would listen to offers" for four-time All-Star Charlie Blackmon ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi.

Morosi, however, added the odds of Blackmon moving this season "are remote," citing both his popularity and limited no-trade clause that includes 15 teams.

The Rockies have no pressing need to deal Blackmon right now. He's signed through at least 2021 and has a $21 million player option in 2022 and a $10 million player option for 2023.

This isn't the time for Colorado to start selling off its veteran assets, either, despite sitting at 47-52, five games back of the final wild-card spot in the National League. Trading Blackmon five months after giving Nolan Arenado an eight-year, $260 million extension would send mixed messages to the fanbase.

Having said that, Blackmon would carry plenty of trade value, be it now or in the offseason. He's batting .319 with a .602 slugging percentage, 21 home runs and 60 RBI through 82 games and boasts a proven track record.

The concerns about whether his offense translates outside of Coors Field could dampen his market slightly, though. He has a 1.000 career OPS at home compared to .737 on the road, per Baseball Reference, and the contrast is more stark this year (1.318 at home, .657 on the road).

Colorado is wise to keep all of its options open. Morosi cited pitching as a clear need, so trading Blackmon would potentially be one way to address that. Perhaps a desperate general manager would be willing to go over the top in order to land the two-time Silver Slugger.

But considering all of the factors at play, fans can probably rule out a midseason move.

Two of Major League Baseball's hottest hitters rode a wave of momentum to earn American League and National League Player of the Month honors.

MLB announced on Wednesday that New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu and Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon were named as the top players in their respective league for their work in June

Blackmon's performance in June is more impressive considering he missed the first seven days of the month with a strained right calf. 

After returning to the Rockies on June 8, Blackmon went on an absolute tear by hitting .412/.441/.835 with 10 homers and 25 RBI in 22 games. The four-time All-Star set an MLB record for most hits in a four-game series (15) against the San Diego Padres from June 13-16. 

LeMahieu leads the AL with a .341 batting average. The Yankees All-Star hit a robust .395/.434/.638 in 25 games and hit six of his 12 homers in June. 

Both players will ride their wave of momentum into the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9. LeMahieu is making his third appearance in the Midsummer Classic, but this will be his first time as a starter. Blackmon was named to the NL squad for the fourth time in the past six seasons. 

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon has been put on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, according to the team. 

Blackmon finished fifth in National League MVP voting after an All-Star 2017 season. He hit .331/.399/.601 and led the NL with 213 hits, 137 runs scored and 14 triples.

Last season saw Blackmon continue his dominant performance with an .860 OPS in 156 games. He once again led the NL with 119 runs scored. He's off to a strong start in 2019 with 28 extra-base hits (10 homers) and an .921 OPS. 

The 32-year-old has been one of Colorado's most durable players over the previous three seasons, with the exception of one short DL stint in 2017 due to turf toe. He's shifted to right field in 2019 to help preserve his legs. 

Blackmon has become one of Colorado's best offensive weapons, setting the table for Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story to drive him in.

The Rockies have done a good job of building outfield depth, as David Dahl is capable of playing all three positions. Yonathan Daza, who was called up from Triple-A on Monday, should see more time in the outfield with Blackmon sidelined.