Untimely Injury Strikes Rockies’ Leading Trade Candidate

Germán Márquez Injured at Inopportune Time for Rockies

The Trade Deadline is Fast Approaching

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is on July 31st. With a little over a week to go, it puts the Rockies in an unenviable position. This is the time of the season when sellers are hoping their top trade chips are playing their best baseball. At most, Márquez would be set for one more start on Saturday in a road start against the Baltimore Orioles. However, according to Harding, this injury could cause Márquez to miss his next start.

Trade value is constantly changing. A trade candidate’s recent performance can make all the difference in the haul the team will get in return. For the Rockies, Sunday’s start served as a perfect opportunity for Márquez to maximize his trade value. He has been playing really solid baseball for the past month and a half. This could have been a moment for Márquez to put a stamp on his place as a top trade candidate this season.

Instead, Márquez had one of his worst starts of the season. He said he struggled to get loose pregame, and it showed. Márquez issued four walks, the most since he allowed six free passes in a start against the Athletics on April 5. He also allowed four hits, including a two-run home run in the second inning to right fielder Matt Wallner. The start could have been much worse. But Márquez managed to escape from a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning unscathed. It has also been a very healthy season for Márquez after a couple of injury-riddled seasons. But his first injury scare of the season could scare away some buyers due to his injury history.

Rockies are Short on Trade Options

Per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, there were numerous scouts at the Twins-Rockies matinee, including reps from the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays. After a rough start to the season, Márquez has arguably become the most attractive trade asset for the Rockies.

In his last 10 starts, he has resembled the starting pitcher who was one of the top options in the Rockies’ rotation before his injury issues. It’s a fortunate turnaround for the Rockies, who are limited on trade options. For the first couple of months this season, right-handed reliever Jake Bird was playing at an All-Star level for Colorado. There is always a high demand for relievers at the deadline. Bird looked like he was going to be one of the top options, considering his stellar play while pitching at altitude. But he has come down to earth in a major way.

Bird held a 1.41 ERA following two scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants on June 10. After his latest outing against the Twins on Friday, in which he gave up three runs in one inning of work, he has a 4.09 ERA. July as a whole has been brutal for Bird. He has gone from one of the top options in the Rockies’ bullpen to one of their least reliable. In July, Bird has posted a 22.09 ERA with nine earned runs and two homers allowed in 3 2/3 innings across five outings. Per Statmuse, among relievers who have pitched in at least three innings in July, Bird has the third highest ERA league wide behind only Casey Legumina (24.92 ERA) and Tommy Kahnle (37.80 ERA).

The other top trade candidate on the Rockies this season has been veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon. But McMahon’s trade value has been especially volatile in an up-and-down season. McMahon had a solid series against the Twins, going 4-11 across the three games with two homers, four RBI, and two doubles. But across 50 at-bats in July, McMahon is hitting just .180 with a paltry .606 OPS.

Per Statcast, he is in the bottom two percent league-wide with a 31.9% K rate and 35.2% whiff rate. But he does rank in the 97th percentile with a 93.6 mph average exit velocity. But will buyers be scared about that exit velo transferring out of the friendly confines of Coors Field? McMahon will always be one of the top defensive players at his position. But offense usually leads these discussions at the deadline.

For a player who has trended down offensively in the second half during his career, will a recent hot streak change any minds? McMahon will also have to get in line behind fellow third baseman Eugenio Suárez if the Arizona Diamondbacks decide to move him. Suárez has been scorching hot and is receiving rumored interest from the Yankees and Mariners.

Help Us, Germán Márquez, You’re Our Only Hope

Fittingly, it was Star Wars night at Coors Field on Saturday. With the trade deadline serving as the fast-approaching Death Star, Márquez is the Rockies’ Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Rockies have to hope that teams can look past his most recent start and look at his recent play as a whole. In six starts in June, Márquez was arguably the top pitcher in the Rockies’ rotation. He posted a 2.97 ERA with a K:BB ratio of 29:8 in 30 1/3 IP. Per Spotrac, Márquez is in the last year of team control, earning $10 million guaranteed in his age-30 season.

The Rockies would have to cover a decent amount of that $10 million to secure a solid return. But some buyers could buy low on Márquez being a solid fourth or fifth starter in their rotation. If the Rockies are willing to cover a decent amount of Márquez’s remaining money, that could be a tempting offer. Marquez’s ceiling is beyond that of a fourth or fifth member in a starting rotation. As a rental in his age-30 season, it could be worth it for a contending club to see if he can be a solid starter pitching away from altitude for the first time in his career. If it doesn’t work out, Márquez is a free agent in the offseason, and the Rockies ate most of his salary anyway.

The Rockies are finding pitfalls over and over again this season. In what is setting up to be the worst season in franchise history, they are not set up well for the deadline. It’s a discouraging thought as the Rockies try to recoup some value from this lost season. In the case of McMahon, it is clearer than ever that the Rockies missed their golden opportunity to trade him in his All-Star first half last season. That is a recurring theme for Colorado when it comes to trading veterans at the deadline. But Márquez has been a nice surprise in his first season coming back from serious injuries. The Rockies’ only hope at the deadline could very well reside with Germán Márquez. It remains to be seen if a deal will come to fruition.