Potential Trade Packages and Landing Spots for Charlie Blackmon
The Colorado Rockies signed Charlie Blackmon to a six-year, $108 million extension at the onset of the 2018 season.
Less than two years later, he's on the trade block.
That's according to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com, who wrote, "Sources say that the Rockies would listen to offers for Blackmon, even though the chances of a trade before next Wednesday's deadline are remote."
While a trade in the coming days might be a long shot, a deal during the offseason could be in play, and there are some obvious potential landing spots.
Morosi highlighted the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals as teams that could have interest.
We broke down what trade packages with those three teams might look like and also added one other speculative landing spot to the discussion.
Be warned, none of these proposed return packages are franchise-altering hauls.
Blackmon is 33 years old, he's a below-average defender (-8 DRS, -13.8 UZR/150), he's no longer a threat on the bases, he's hitting .237 with a terrible .659 OPS away from Coors Field, and he's owed $42 million over the next two years with a $21 million player option for 2022 and a $10 million player option for 2023.
He's still capable of making an impact, but he's not worth multiple elite-level prospects.
Texas Rangers
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The Fit
The Texas Rangers might have a splashy addition on their minds as they get set to open a new ballpark in 2020.
With underperforming incumbents Nomar Mazara (87 OPS+, 14 HR) and Delino DeShields (83 OPS+, 12 SB) occupying two of the outfield spots alongside imposing slugger Joey Gallo, it's easy to envision that splash coming in the form of a big outfield bat.
The Return Package: LHP Joe Palumbo, RHP Jonathan Hernandez, LHP Brock Burke
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2017, Joe Palumbo is back to 100 percent and flashing some intriguing upside in the upper levels of the minors.
MLB.com wrote: "Though he's smaller than desired for a starter, Palumbo [6'1", 168 lbs] makes up for his lack of size with arm speed and athleticism. He doesn't require a lot of effort to produce his effective arsenal, and his control and command have improved throughout his career."
With a 3.22 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 67 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, he's ready for an extended look in the majors.
Jonathan Hernandez is more of a project but one that could pay huge dividends.
The 23-year-old has electric stuff and posted a 3.63 ERA with 134 strikeouts in 121.1 innings between High-A and Double-A last season. The results have not been great this year at Double-A (5.78 ERA, 83 K, 81.0 IP), but he has frontline potential.
Left-hander Brock Burke is also pitching at Double-A and has a 3.74 ERA, .180 opponents' batting average and 35 strikeouts in 33.2 innings.
With three quality pitches, good command and a deceptive delivery, he has all the makings of a middle-of-the-rotation starter, and he could be ready by 2020.
Cincinnati Reds
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The Fit
With Yasiel Puig headed for free agency at season's end, the Cincinnati Reds will be in the market for a new right fielder to join Jesse Winker and Nick Senzel in the outfield.
C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reported July 12 that the Reds were looking to buy at the trade deadline, in part with an eye on improving for the future. A trade for Blackmon would certainly fit the bill and would be a proactive move to account for the potential loss of Puig.
The Return Package: RHP Tony Santillan, RHP Keury Mella, LHP Scott Moss
The results have not matched the stuff for Tony Santillan this year at Double-A, but all the pieces are still there for him to develop into a frontline starter.
The 22-year-old has a 70-grade fastball and two above-average off-speed pitches, delivered from a sturdy 6'3", 240-pound frame that was built to eat innings. Assuming his 5.01 ERA is just a growing pain for a pitcher who is young for his level of competition, he looks like a great trade target.
The hard-throwing Keury Mella is pitching at Triple-A, and his 65-grade fastball and plus changeup give him a high floor as a power reliever.
The 25-year-old is still working as a starter and has middle-of-the-rotation potential.
Left-hander Scott Moss is the polar opposite as a polished starter with a limited ceiling but stellar results and a high likelihood of filling a spot at the back of a big league staff.
A fourth-round pick in 2016, Moss has a 3.47 ERA with 119 strikeouts in 96 innings at Double-A. He doesn't have a plus pitch, but he's deceptive and has shown advanced pitchability.
St. Louis Cardinals
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The Fit
With Marcell Ozuna headed for free agency and likely to sign elsewhere, the St. Louis Cardinals will be looking to add another big bat to a lineup that has scuffled in 2019.
As Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday, the Cardinals have pursued Blackmon multiple times in the past. There's a case to be made for them to plug in Tyler O'Neill as the everyday left fielder to see what he can do, but the Cardinals are built to win now, and they might not be willing to roll those dice.
The Return Package: RHP Ryan Helsley, RHP Johan Oviedo, OF Lane Thomas
Arguably the top pitcher in the St. Louis system, right-hander Ryan Helsley has a high-octane fastball that sits in the upper 90s and has touched 102 mph.
While the 25-year-old is a bit undersized at 6'1" and 195 pounds, he has a strong track record, is equally effective against lefties and righties and backs his fastball with a power curveball, plus cutter and passable changeup.
He's posted a 2.92 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 12.1 innings out of the big league bullpen this year, but there's still a chance he can stick as a starter.
Johan Oviedo is a 6'6" right-hander with the potential for three above-average pitches and solid results this season with a 4.40 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 110.1 innings between High-A and Double-A.
He's still just 21 years old. As he continues to iron out his command and develop his off-speed stuff, a 2021 debut is not out of the question.
While we otherwise focused exclusively on pitching in return packages, it makes sense for the Cardinals to deal someone from their crowded outfield situation.
Lane Thomas is MLB-ready with the glove to stick in center field and enough power-speed potential to make an impact offensively. He could immediately step into the spot Blackmon would vacate in the Colorado outfield.
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Chicago White Sox
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The Fit
The Chicago White Sox went searching for a big bat with their offseason pursuit of Manny Machado, so we know there's motivation there to both spend money and add a star-caliber veteran to the lineup.
Eloy Jimenez is locked in as the everyday left fielder, and rising prospect Luis Robert will presumably occupy one of the other outfield spots as soon as next season. Current placeholders like Ryan Cordell, Adam Engel, Leury Garcia, Charlie Tilson and Jon Jay don't profile as long-term solutions, so there's room to add an impact veteran to the mix.
The Return Package: RHP Dane Dunning, RHP Jonathan Stiever, LHP Konnor Pilkington
The centerpiece here is 2016 first-round pick Dane Dunning.
Prior to missing the 2019 season because of Tommy John surgery, he was rapidly climbing the minor league ranks. Injured pitchers have served as trade centerpieces in the past, including when James Kaprielian headlined the 2017 deal that sent Sonny Gray from the Oakland Athletics to the New York Yankees.
The 24-year-old has an advanced four-pitch arsenal, plus command and a strong 6'4" frame, so he could join the big league rotation in 2020.
Jonathan Stiever was a fifth-round pick in 2018. The 6'2" right-hander has racked up 122 strikeouts with a 3.82 ERA in 113 innings between Single-A and High-A this season.
His scouting report at MLB.com reads like he's someone who was built to succeed at Coors Field: "Stiever's fastball sits in the low 90s and reaches 96 mph, playing as a plus pitch because it has a lot of run and sink, and he leverages it down in the zone with downhill angle thanks to his high-three-quarters arm slot."
Konnor Pilkington was also a 2018 draft pick, going in the third round. He's a high-floor lefty starter who is a safe bet to settle in at the back of an MLB rotation and has the potential to develop into a No. 3 starter type if his velocity ticks up.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
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