Possibilities and consequences are brewing in the Rockies’ outfield, and general manager Josh Byrnes must sort it all out in the coming weeks.
Mickey Moniak returned from the injured list ahead of Monday night’s game between the Red Sox and Rockies at Coors Field. Meanwhile, Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck left Denver on Monday to begin their rehab stints with Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.
And speaking of the Isotopes, outfield prospects Charlie Condon and Zac Veen are battering Triple-A pitching and threatening to kick down the big-league door.
It will be Byrnes’ job — along with Paul DePodesta, the president of baseball operations — to make some important, franchise-shaping decisions in the coming weeks.
For a rebuilding team like the Rockies, that entered Monday’s game with a 30-48 record, the Aug. 3 trade deadline looms as a huge opportunity. Byrnes acknowledged Monday that the franchise lacks big-league-ready pitching and must build depth. Trades could be part of the equation.
“I think that, candidly, we’d like to — and it’s been done here before — build a pitching staff that’s playoff caliber and hopefully sustainable for several years,” he said. “Not just the players, but the methods behind it. I think it’s probably pretty high on the list for what we’re trying to do.”
Asked if trades could be a solution, Byrnes answered: “I think that’s spot on. I think that’s where we see it too. We need more upper-level pitching. We’ve found some, you know, in various ways.”
Byrnes pointed to right-hander Andrew Baker as an example. Colorado acquired Baker, 26, from the Phillies last month in exchange for international signing money. Baker will soon be promoted from Double-A Hartford to Triple-A, Byrnes said.
“We just have to constantly be on the hunt for pitching, hopefully, up and down the organization,” Byrnes said.
In the winter of 2015, former Rockies GM Jeff Bridich and his staff were hunting too. Venezuelan right-hander German Marquez was coming off a promising season with the Charlotte Stonecrabs, Tampa Bay’s High-A team, and the Rockies were very interested.
The Rockies and the Rays completed the trade in January 2016, with the Rockies acquiring left-handed reliever Jake McGee and Marquez in exchange for outfielder slugger Corey Dickerson and infielder Kevin Padlo. Marquez turned out to be one of the best pitchers in Rockies history and helped them make the playoffs in 2017 and ’18.
“Jack Gillis gets a lot of the credit for having done a lot of the scouting work … He had seen German pitch a number of times,” Bridich told The Post in 2019. “Jack had an instinct and gut feel for what German could become at the major-league level.”
Dickerson, a fan favorite, had a breakout season in 2024, slashing .312/.364/.567 with 24 home runs and 27 doubles. However, his 2015 season was marred by plantar fasciitis in his left foot, making him expendable in a trade.
Perhaps the Rockies are exploring trading a Dickerson-like outfielder now? To the question about trading from outfield depth, Byrnes gave a vague response.
“We’re talking to teams constantly,” he said. “I, obviously, won’t reveal too much about who or what we’re talking about. Teams usually make trades because they have depth (at a position) and trade out a bit.”
Colorado certainly has talent in the outfield, but how enticing it is to other teams remains to be seen.
Before Moniak went on the IL on May 22 with right ankle tendinitis, he was slashing .280/.335/.607 (942 OPS) with 12 home runs. There was talk of a possible trip to the All-Star Game.
Monday night, the Rockies started exciting rookie Cole Carrigg in center. He hit .250 with three homers in his first 12 games. Speedy Jake McCarthy (.295 average, five home runs, .801 OPS) started in left, and Tyler Freeman (.268, three homers, .771 OPS) started in right. Colorado also has Troy Johnston (.309, three homers, .811 OPS) on the current big-league roster.
Regarding Doyle and Beck returning to the Rockies after their rehab stints, manager Warren Schaeffer recently said that the club is in no rush to make roster decisions.
At Triple-A, Condon, ranked as Colorado’s No. 2 prospect by MLB.com, is sizzling. In 17 games in June, the right fielder has hit .262 with a 1.055 OPS and six home runs. Overall this season, he’s slashed .262/.397/.512 with 14 homers.
Veen, the No. 13 prospect, has hit safely in 22 straight games, the longest active streak in the minors. He’s slashing .419/.433/.828 with 11 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, and 18 RBI over the stretch.
So, what does Byrnes tell the hot prospects when they’re still down on the farm, biding their time?
“If you’re in Triple A and you think you should be in the big leagues, I think it’s a fair question,” he said. “I often say to players, ‘You’re not a human being if you’re not like, a little, why am I not getting a shot?’
“That’s a human reaction. So, we can explain that there’s a lot about an individual player’s readiness, what’s going on with our rosters — a lot of reasons. I also say, ‘Maybe we’re right, maybe we’re not.’ (Their instinct is), they’re ready. We’re saying not quite, not quite yet.”
