The Colorado Rockies wouldn’t even think of trading Carlos Gonzalez. Or would they?
FOX Sports columnist Ken Rosenthal believes the Rockies should consider trading their do-it-all center fielder to a contending team in need of offensive help. The team is not contending with CarGo in the lineup, so why not trade him away in exchange for some top-tier prospects to build toward the future, Rosenthal wrote.
For starters, they should trade right-hander Jhoulys Chacin to clear a spot for one of their many prized young arms. And then, to resolve their logjam in the outfield, they should trade the previously untouchable Carlos Gonzalez.
That’s right, CarGo, who comprises one-half of the duo the Rockies supposedly cannot win without, the other half being Tulo, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Well, the Rockies aren’t winning with CarGo, and they aren’t trading Tulo, the best shortstop in baseball.
The best way to build a lasting contender would be to get a decent return for Gonzalez while escaping the bulk of his remaining guarantee — about $7 million more this season, then $53 million combined from 2015-17.
The Rockies are loaded with outfielders. They need to create more at-bats for Corey Dickerson. Gonzalez, 28, lacks a no-trade clause, making ownership the only real obstacle to moving him.
Gonzalez, 28, is signed through the 2017 season, and will earn a total of $53 million over that span. The crazy part is that CarGo does not have a no-trade clause attached to his contract.
Rosenthal names the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, and Houston Astros as potential suitors for Gonzalez, and doesn’t believe his contract is too big to scare away teams.
The Rockies have a plethora of outfield talent to help ease the wound left by Gonzalez, too. Corey Dickerson, Charlie Blackmon, Brandon Barnes, Drew Stubbs, and Michael Cuddyer are all on the roster, and Rosenthal suggested the team could use the money saved by trading Gonzalez to extend Cuddyer or sign a younger outfielder.
The team also has top prospect Kyle Parker at Triple-A to consider.
