Angels Rumors: 3 starting pitchers on the Rockies to trade for

After officially completing the blockbuster Nolan Arenado trade, it appears the Rockies are looking ahead to their future. If that’s the case, there are some starting pitchers in Colorado that could be an excellent fit for the Angels.

The Rockies will send the Cardinals ~$50 million to take Arenado off their hands in exchange for five players, none of which are in the MLB Top 100 Prospect Rankings.

Whether or not the Rockies will continue to sell remains to be seen. Colorado has finished above .500 in just two of the last ten seasons. Their path to contention is an uphill climb, with the Padres and Dodgers sitting atop the NL West.

Having one of baseball’s best third basemen is certainly an advantage, but a big reason for this trade is because Arenado was upset the organization has not built a contender around him. It also leaves flexibility to sign shortstop Trevor Story to a long-term deal.

Starting pitching has always been a weakness for the Rockies while playing in a hitter-friendly Coors Field, so you wouldn’t think they’d consider getting rid of the current members of the rotation.

The Angels will need help in the rotation at some point, these three Rockies starting pitchers should be considered in a trade.

Yet, for various reasons, the Rockies have still been linked to trade rumors involving some of their starters this offseason as they continue to rebuild their team and shed payroll. There’s a possibility Colorado would trade one of their young pitchers if it involves taking on the salary of other position players.

So far, the Angels have added Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb to their rotation. The two pitchers add depth, but it’s still not enough to compete for a division title and more.

If the Angels don’t plan on adding any big-name starting pitchers, there are a few options in Colorado they might consider taking a chance on.

Considering 80 percent of the current Halos rotation is set to hit free agency after 2021, a trade with the Rockies at some point makes sense.

Of all the current Rockies starters to go after, Jon Gray would provide the lowest-risk and highest-reward for the Angels.

A third overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft, Gray has shown some promise but has not lived up to the hype in Colorado. The right-hander has put together a sub-4 ERA in two of his six big league seasons.

Regarding how he’s performed away from Coors Field, there isn’t that much of a difference.

Jon Gray Career Splits (6 seasons):

• Coors Field: (60 games) 4.66 ERA 338.1 IP 1.315 WHIP  8.9 K/9  3.64 K/BB
• Away: (62 games) 4.53 ERA 342 IP 1.365 WHIP 9.4 K/9 2.75 K/BB

The 29-year old is coming off a forgetful 2020 where he posted a 6.69 ERA and 1.436 WHIP in eight starts. It was a step backward from the 3.84 ERA and 1.353 WHIP posted in his 2019 campaign.

Jon Gray would bring a low price and high upside to the Angels rotation.

Gray will make $6 million in his final year of arbitration before becoming a free agent after this season. Considering the Rockies most likely won’t be competing this season, they’re bound to trade Gray at some point.

For the right price, it wouldn’t hurt to take a chance on trading for Gray. The only issue with this would be the lack of long-term security.

Fittingly, Gray would add to the other one-year rentals the Angels have acquired so far this offseason. If it means giving up a player that has no impact on the future, I don’t see how it hurts the Halos.

That being said, are some better long-term options on the Rockies to choose from, though they will cost more.

Of all the current starting pitchers in Colorado, German Marquez carries the most upside. The downside for the Angels is the high-price tag attached to Marquez.

The 25-year old carries a career 4.24 ERA and 1.269 WHIP in his five MLB seasons. Last summer, Marquez led the league with 81 2/3 innings pitched to go along with a 3.75 ERA and 1.261 WHIP.

Even with his numbers being pretty solid overall, Marquez has had more success outside of Denver.

German Marquez Career Splits (5 seasons):

• Coors Field: (51 games) 5.10 ERA 293 IP 1.423 WHIP 9.7 K/9 3.80 K/BB
• Away: (58 games) 3.51 ERA 341.1 IP 1.137 WHIP 8.6 K/9 3.65 K/BB

For a pitcher who is still relatively young, Marquez has loads of talent and potential as a big-league starter. This is the reason Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich extended Marquez to a team-friendly contract in 2019.

Marquez has three-years, $34.4 million remaining on his current deal. The contract includes a $2.5 million buyout and $16 million option for the 2024 season.

This type of contract will likely increase the asking price for Marquez alone. However, if a team is willing to take on the salaries of other Rockies players like Charlie Blackmon (one-year, $21.5 million+player options) and Ian Desmond (one-year, $8 million+$2 million buyout), then maybe this will be enough for a deal to go through.

Angels: Marquez is arguably the most valuable trade chip the Rockies have.

The Angels could use another corner outfielder, and a player as talented as Blackmon would be more than ideal.

Acquiring both Blackmon and Marquez seems too good to be true, but it’s not impossible.