3 early-season trades Rockies must make

If the Toronto Blue Jays are going to have any prayer at making the playoffs this season, they’ll need to change things within their lineup. Aside from the fact that all of the stars on the team are having bad years, it’s too right-handed dominant and it lacks a cornerstone bat at third base. In Ryan McMahon, the Jays would have an answer to all those issues.

Therefore, the Rockies need to prey on the desperation of the Blue Jays and sell them McMahon for a pretty penny. He’s got three years and $44 million left on his contract after this season, which is a very reasonable price for a third baseman averaging over 3 WAR per season since 2021. He’s also on track for perhaps his best offensive season in MLB and at 29, still has lots of great baseball left to play.

Plus, the kicker with McMahon is that he’s a very good ballplayer, but not a superstar. That doesn’t do the Rockies much good, considering he won’t be around by the time they have any hope of competing. We want young prospects in return, so asking the Blue Jays for 18-year-old outfielder Enmanuel Bonilla and 19-year-old pitcher Landen Maroudis seems like a fair deal.

Trade C Elias Díaz to Cubs

It should be a much easier decision to trade Díaz than McMahon, considering the 33-year-old catcher is a free agent at the end of this season. He was an All-Star in 2023, if only by default, and could be on his way to another selection based on his 111 OPS+ at the catching position.

There are a number of teams that could use insurance at catcher, but the Chicago Cubs stand out at the moment. They had hoped to turn over the keys to Miguel Amaya in 2024, but the second-year backstop has just a .541 OPS in 28 games thus far. Yan Gomes is still there, but he’s the definition of an aging veteran. Díaz would be a clear upgrade over both and allow Craig Counsell peace of mind that his catcher has a chance of getting a hit when the Cubs desperately need one.

In return, the Rockies should hope to grab Cubs No. 8 prospect Jefferson Rojas, a 19-year-old shortstop with a very good arm. With Ezequiel Tovar signed to be Colorado’s long-term shortstop, they should be seeking young position players with the flexibility to move around the infield and Rojas certainly fits the bill.

Trade RP Jalen Beeks to Diamondbacks

One of the biggest blessings of the 2024 season thus far for Colorado has been the performance of lefty reliever Jalen Beeks. Formerly a swingman with the Rays, Beeks has been one of Bud Black’s most trusted relievers at the back end of the bullpen, posting a 2.21 ERA through 20.1 innings. He was essentially a lottery ticket they purchased that ended up having enough value to buy them a prospect or two.

In the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado has a potential buyer starving for left-handed bullpen help. Their two most-used lefties in last year’s postseason, Andrew Saalfrank and Kyle Nelson, are both no longer on the roster, with Saalfrank in AAA and Nelson suffering a UCL tear. The Rockies need to pounce on the defending NL champs’ desperation and grab some young guns with high upside.

A good name to circle here is Arizona’s 11th-ranked prospect, Cristian Mena. He’s a 21-year-old righty who’s already reached AAA and has the potential to be a future mid-rotation piece for the Rockies. He’s been pitching in the Pacific Coast League, so he’s used to pitching in high-run environments like Coors Field and he’s young enough to possibly be a factor in a few years when the Rockies could be relevant again. These are the types of trades the Rockies urgently need to make.