Despite a solid Triple-A season, the Rockies are not planning to call him up in September.

“It is unlikely,” general manager Josh Byrnes told The Post on Tuesday. “It is a combination of factors.”

The team will promote infielder Adael Amador this week, giving the former top prospect another look as the Rockies enter Tuesday trying to snap a 10-game home losing streak. Organizations can exchange a player for player or pitcher for pitcher during this month from the minor leagues with the roster expanding by two spots.

While that remains a fluid situation, keeping Condon in Triple-A is more concrete.

Renck: Time for Rockies to call up Charlie Condon to big leagues — in September or sooner

No one in baseball, from executives to the MLBPA, will discuss the impact on this decision by the looming lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1. But it would be naive to think it is not playing a role.

Across baseball, front offices face the uncomfortable question of whether to place top prospects on the 40-man roster or slow play promotions to protect their long-term development. Condon, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft, falls in this category.

If a Rockies player is added to the 40-man roster -- Condon does not have to be until four seasons in the minor leagues -- he can not use the team's facilities in Scottsdale or Denver, report to spring training or participate in minor league games, even with diluted talent, during a lockout.

By not promoting Condon, it also allows the Rockies to use his 40-man spot to protect another prospect, which can be valuable when an organization is rebuilding.

After injuries undermined parts of two seasons, Condon has gained traction this year in Triple-A. He is hitting .271 with a .390 on-base percentage with 22 home runs and 50 extra base hits in 113 games. He has played solid defense as a first baseman and corner outfielder.

"It would be exciting to get the call," Condon told the Post on Aug. 13. "But I can’t lose sleep over something out of my control."

For now, Condon is left to finish strong before aiming to establish himself as part of the Rockies' core next season.

It is time for the Rockies to go all in on Condon.

Charlie Condon, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, is ready for his big league call-up in September. And if they want to do it sooner — like next Monday against the world champion Dodgers — even better.

This sounds like malpractice to those who understand the value of 40-man roster spots and know the ramifications of the looming lockout. We can dive into the fine print on that in a moment.

The present cannot be ignored.

After breaking his wrist in his first pro game, after struggling to find his footing last season, Condon has established himself as an elite slugger and solid hitter in Triple-A.

There is nothing left for him to prove with the Albuquerque Isotopes. Heading to The Show makes the most sense for this development.

“We want Charlie to be dangerous, a power threat and a run producer. He has had a really good year, and gotten back to his calling card in the batter’s box,” general manager Josh Byrnes told The Denver Post. “He doesn’t chase. He has demonstrated the ability to map out different plans for the pitchers he has faced, and shown he can play outfield and first base.”

So, what is the problem? Timing.

The Rockies are weighing the side effects of a work stoppage against the value of exposing Condon to big league pitching as the franchise focuses on building up its core moving forward.

Condon, by any measure, will be part of that group. He is ready.

“That’s the goal. And not just to get to the big leagues and chill there, but to eventually become a middle-of-the-order bat. Deep down inside, even through the struggles I have had in my minor league career, I have always believed that is what I was working for. I know who I am as a player and what the game calls for me to do,” Condon told The Post after batting practice in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. “It would be exciting to get the call. But I can’t lose sleep over something out of my control.”

In baseball, if you want income you can’t focus on outcome.

Condon has embraced the process to achieve success. In the season’s first two months, spanning 48 games, he clubbed 21 extra-base hits, including eight home runs, while hitting .262 with a .391 on-base percentage and .861 OPS.

Over the last 50 games, he boasts 26 extra-base hits with 14 home runs, batting .294 with a .399 OBP and 1.002 OPS.

As for his swing decisions, they are good ones. His strikeout rate is 25.1%, while he is walking at a 13% clip.

“In this game you don’t get paid to work hard. You get paid to work hard and produce. But you can’t force it,” Condon said. “My plan for this year was to be consistent and ready to play every day. It is the mindset I have to have and I got fully behind it.”

It has left him on the doorstep.

It took an injury for Zac Veen to get promoted before September because the Rockies’ two best hitting outfielders are left-handed. There is an obvious spot for Condon to get at-bats as the starting right fielder.

And if he needs a breather, rest him against tough righties.

The runway is clear after this weekend. There will be fewer than 45 days remaining in the season. So, as long as he does not exceed 130 at-bats, Condon will retain his rookie status in 2027.

Big deal? Yeah, it is.

Per the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, if a player wins Rookie of the Year — and Condon will have more than a puncher’s chance if he plays everyday and half his games at Coors Field — his team receives a sandwich draft pick after the first round.

That is a remarkable incentive, if not catnip, to send Condon to the bigs. Let him wade into the deep end. Let him sink. Let him swim.

Getting at-bats will create a roadmap for his offseason, a way to accelerate his progress based on real-life experience.

Believing Condon can win Rookie of the Year is presumptuous, but he has the talent to pull it off.

Have you seen him? He is 6-foot-5, 216 pounds with room to add weight. He has levers longer than a slot machine. There are 30 home run seasons in his future.

If the Rockies bring up Condon, it will be applauded.

But not in all circles.

There is risk involved because of the anticipated lockout when the CBA expires on Dec. 1. Across baseball, front offices will face the uncomfortable question of whether to place top prospects on the 40-man roster or slow play promotions to protect their long-term development.

Condon does not have to be added this offseason. It means the Rockies could keep him in the minors and use his 40-man spot for another prospect who must be protected, a reasonable conversation for an organization in the throes of a rebuild.

Of course, that will be about as popular with fans as eating left-out Rocky Mountain oysters. But the argument has merit.

Why? If Condon goes onto the 40-man, he becomes part of the lockout. He can no longer use the team’s Salt River Fields facility in the offseason. He would be ineligible to participate in spring training or minor league games if those start while MLB remains on ice.

It is something to consider.

But there are more reasons to be bold, to bring him to Denver. Condon turns 24 in April. He has earned a reputation as coachable, self-motivated, and hardworking. There is no reason to think he could not prepare well by working out at the University of Georgia or a place of that ilk.

Condon has checked the boxes. He deserves big-league at-bats, not to be penalized for getting caught up in the labor vortex of the owners vs. players.

“Oh man, they always talk about never play GM in this game. That means you sure as heck can’t play commissioner. I leave that to those people,” Condon said. “My job is to do my job, then see what happens.”

Talking with Condon, his maturity is obvious. He has the desirable blend of humility and confidence. But it can’t be easy knowing that he and Nationals Triple-A shortstop Seaver King are the only players drafted in the top 10 in 2024 who have not reached the big leagues.

That list includes Kansas City slugger Jac Caglianone, who was mocked to Colorado in some drafts, and has 21 home runs this season.

“Everybody has their own timeline. It is something I have had to preach to myself since high school, when I was under-recruited, waiting for college opportunities, when all my buddies had them. But you don’t want to be sour about it. When people have good things going, you should be happy for them,” Condon said. “Jac is a great buddy of mine. I am actually going to his wedding this offseason.”

If the Rockies are still discussing the Condon decision, this should end the debate. The kid gets it. He can be trusted to continue his development during a lockout, meaning the math works.

The 120 at-bats are worth more than saving a 40-man roster spot.

debuted last season but appeared in just 12 games before being sent back down to Albuquerque. He’s spent all of 2026 there, posting strong offensive numbers with a .325/.400/.637 slash line along with a 1.037 OPS and 25 homers in 99 games.

“He’s been really good at Triple-A, so it����ap time to give him some opportunity at the major-league level,” Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes said. “Role and playing time are likely to be fluid. Mostly, we hope to see quality ABs with some damage.”

In a corresponding move, the Rockies designated infielder Edouard Julien for assignment. Julien, a left-handed hitter like Veen, is struggling with a .208 average and hasn’t been playing much lately.

Veen will join the Rockies ahead of Colorado’s Tuesday game against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. The outfielder is coming off a historic game over the weekend, when he went 5-for-5 with three homers, a double and a triple in Albuquerque’s 10-1 win over Sugar Land at Isotopes Park. Those 17 total bases marked a rare feat that’s only been achieved

After being drafted at No. 9 overall six years ago out of Spruce Creek High School in Florida, Veen had a bumpy road throughout the minors leading into his 2025 MLB debut. He had to wait nearly a year to make his professional debut after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor-league season, and missed large parts of the 2023 and ’24 seasons with injuries.

Veen also dealt with substance abuse issues before The 24-year-old was smoking marijuana every day and also drinking excessively, and got in trouble with the Rockies last season when he was caught smoking during a game at Isotopes Park. But he showed up to spring training this season clean and with added muscle on his 6-foot-3 frame.

Through all those tribulations, the Rockies didn’t lose faith in Veen’s talent, but they wanted to see more maturity in the outfielder who signed for a $5 million bonus out of high school. Veen told The Denver Post in April that his goal for this season was to stay healthy and start to fully realize his potential on the diamond.

“Best-case scenario is I get 500 to 600 at-bats and I play in the most games that I’ve ever played in,” Veen said. “That is the ultimate scenario for me. In a perfect world, I’m obviously in the major leagues (at some point in ’26), but in an even more perfect world, I’m just being the best version of myself every day. And at the end of the year, the pieces fell right where I wanted them to.”

Earlier this season, Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said that the club wanted to see more plate discipline from Veen before he got another chance in the majors. During Veen’s cup of coffee with the Rockies last year, he hit just .118 with 14 strikeouts at a 37.8% K rate while looking consistently overmatched at the plate.

“If he can rein in that (aggression) a little bit because big league pitchers are better equipped to take advantage of that, he can do so much damage on so many pitches,” DePodesta said in April. “So if we can bring him in a little but still allow him to be aggressive on the right pitches, he has a really, really bright future. He’s still showing all the same tools. He’s got big power, he can run. He’s versatile defensively.”

But Veen has shown more command of the strike zone this season with the Isotopes, with a 20.4% strikeout rate as well as a 10.8% walk rate. In his return to the Rockies, he will be a platoon outfielder who will likely see most of his at-bats against right-handed pitchers. He can also bring a speed element on the bases, with 167 steals in his minor-league career.

Veen is now one of six outfielders on the Rockies’ active roster, along with rookie Cole Carrigg, Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak, Troy Johnston and Jordan Beck. Johnston can also play first base, and Carrigg can also play shortstop.

With Veen back in the majors, Rockies fans are still waiting on the debut of another heralded prospect, first baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon. The 2024 No. 3 overall pick is slashing .282/.397/.542 with 22 homers in Triple-A this season, and Colorado farm director Chris Forbes told The Denver Post last month that he would be surprised if Condon doesn’t debut at some point down the stretch of 2026.

The emergence of both Veen and Condon are important pieces to the Rockies’ rebuild following three straight 100-loss seasons. A few other recent first-round picks, including Beck and starting pitchers Chase Dollander and Gabriel Hughes, could also be impactful in a turnaround over the next few seasons.

Beck was recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 3. The left fielder had spent most of the year in Albuquerque after a rough start to his big-league season (hitting .196 in 35 games). Hughes debuted July 3 and has flashed rotational potential through the first chapter of his Rockies career.

Dollander, the team’s hopeful ace of the future, is currently recovering from internal brace surgery on his right elbow, which occurred on June 22. He had a 3.89 ERA in 10 games (3 starts) when he got hurt, and anticipates resuming throwing in late October.

“I’m looking at this as a chance to get better,” Dollander said. “Mentally, I feel like I’m in a really good spot and I’m making sure that I’m staying positive throughout it all. I’m leaning heavily into my faith, and making sure I know that this is happening for a reason. I’m going to find out what that reason is.

“… I’ve been reflecting on the year I was having, which has been good for me. It’s shown me that I’m capable of doing really good things, but in my mind, that’s not even scratching the surface of what I’m capable of. I’m using that as fuel every single day to get back better than what I was before.”

The Rockies (46-73) have lost six of their first seven series of the second half of 2026. They need to go 17-26 over their remaining games to avoid becoming the fifth MLB franchise with four consecutive seasons of 100 or more losses.

A week into NFL training camps and it’s already brutal out there. And not just because of the heat.

The Giants’ Cam Skattebo, who’s built like, and plays like, a giant mountain goat, left practice Friday. So did ace edge-rusher Brian Burns. The Seahawks’ Jadarian Price got dinged with lower body soreness. The Packers’ Josh Jacobs suffered a groin injury this past Thursday.

Pro football is one of those games in which the world’s best sprinters have to prepare for a marathon. You can’t win a division title in early August. But if a critical player goes down with an injury, you can sure as heck lose one.

“I don’t like the term. I feel (very) NBA when I hear ‘load management,’ right?” Payton told reporters Thursday at Dove Valley. “But I believe in the science.”

So do the wanna-be scientists up in the Grading The Week (GTW) offices, come to think of it. Which is why we’re glad to see Payton and his staff exercise discretion over the first seven or eight practices of training camp with Broncos veterans as opposed to trying to exercise them to death.

Broncos load management — B

It’s a tricky balance. The only way to master a violent game is to practice violence, repeatedly. The old fuddy-duddies among the GTW crew are now well-known for complaining about the state of NFL tackling in the 2020s, much to the chagrin of the younger crowd. They often speak of tackling as if it were some lost martial art, practiced by shoguns with single-bar facemasks.

On the flip side, the goal here is to be playing football until early February, and your “best” football from, say, late November onwards. The Broncos aren’t The Junction Boys, and Paul “Bear” Bryant has been dead for 43 years.

So if Payton chooses to keep vets such as 30-year-old wideout Courtland Sutton, who blew out his knee early in the 2020 season, on a pitch count until the middle of the month, by golly, that’s good by us. Especially after a week in which two of Sutton’s fellow receivers, Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims, Jr., both appeared to tweak something over the first few padded practices of camp. Nik Bonitto and Luke Wattenberg suffered injury scares early in the week, while Friday saw Mims, Nate Adkins and Matt Henningsen all leave practice early — and the latter via a cart.

So if said pal continues to fret about the Broncos being “physically ready” for September 14 in Kansas City, or the rigors of a Week 1-6 stretch that features (and the NFL did this on purpose, surely), the Chiefs, the Jaguars, the Rams, the 49ers, the Chargers and the Seahawks, ask him if he can name the NFL’s “preseason champion” from last year. Or, heck, any “preseason champ” since 2006. We’ll wait.

Rockies’ trade deadline tweaks — C

Rebuilding the Purple and Black from Rox bottom was always going to be a process — and a long one — for Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes. And nothing about their trade deadline activity affected our trust in said process. That’s a good thing.

Also good: The club’s top five minor-league prospects, according to MLB.com, are all still here. So is catcher Hunter Goodman, who was never likely to be moved. And outfielders Mickey Moniak (age 28) and Jake McCarthy (29), which was more of a surprise, given their experience and their left-handed bats. Maybe other teams were less enamored with the two veterans’ respective gloves — Moniak sported a minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved total,

If there’s a “down” side, it’s the logjam that remains in front of top hitting prospects, Charlie Condon and Zac Veen. And you tend to get what you give — and when you’re giving away a light-hitting outfielder and two set-up arms, you can’t expect much in return. Of the three minor-league arms acquired, Mason Adams (ex-White Sox) is now, according to MLB.com, the eighth-best arm in the farm system, while Aiden May (ex-Marlins) is now No. 10.

These are the 2026 Rockies.

They are not good, entering the weekend with a 45-70 record. But they are not awful, showing regular competence and offensive potency.

This team competes. This team cares. And it is why the final 47 games matter.

This collection of Rockies does not deserve to be forever stained by history. Colorado must win 18 times over the next six weeks to avoid becoming the first team to post four consecutive 100-loss seasons since the 1962-65 expansion New York Mets.

The ’65 Mets did not have a single player hit 20 home runs, but featured a pitcher with 24 losses. Even Hall of Famer Warren Spahn wore it, going 4-12 with a 4.36 ERA.

For a Colorado organization emphasizing “The Climb,” the incline is manageable. The Rockies must win at a 39% clip over the remainder of the season, the same pace they have performed for four months.

It is not a big ask.

Nobody on Blake Street will launch confetti canyons over 63 wins. But removing the yoke of a century of losses would lighten the burden moving forward.

“Progress is important — 100 losses is definitely something to avoid,” general manager Josh Byrnes told The Post on Friday. “But, big picture, 90-something losses is still not good enough. We have to keep making progress and build towards winning.”

With squinting, it is easy to see the offensive pieces falling into place. After somehow struggling to score the previous three seasons — imagine not being able to catch fish in a barrel — the Rockies are averaging 4.81 runs, while hitting .255 with 130 home runs.

The year-over-year jump is substantial enough — 3.68 runs, .237 average, 160 homers in 2025 — to create optimism. There are multiple players — Hunter Goodman, T.J. Rumfield, Jake McCarthy, Cole Carrigg, Mickey Moniak and Kyle Karros — who represent potential mainstays. And perhaps Ezequiel Tovar will figure out how to handle the high fastball — if not, Carrigg is a viable option at shortstop — and Charlie Condon will provide a September boost.

The lineup is lengthening, and making better swing decisions.

Pitching remains the problem.

The Rays broomed the Rockies earlier this week at Coors Field, showing the ground Colorado must cover to become a contender. There will be hiccups after trading away Antonio Senzatela and Victor Vodnik. But it is time for the young arms, like Nick Frasso, to prove they belong.

The rotation needs a bump.

The second half is about figuring out if Ryan Feltner is worthy of a spot — his stuff plays, but his inconsistency remains maddening. Is Gabriel Hughes’ cutter a sustainable weapon or a mirage? Will Mason Adams, acquired in the Brenton Doyle deal, make his case with a handful of starters over the next month? And can those three anchor the rotation in 2027 — if there is a season — before Chase Dollander returns around July?

The Rockies can always find a veteran bounce-back candidate for cheap, but there is no escape from the prison of the NL West basement or flirting with 100 losses without a young core of starters.

Colorado is projected to win 20 more games than last season. A 63-99 mark is nothing to boast about, but it represents an important baby step toward relevance.

Radio silence: The Columbus Blue Jackets eliminated their radio team, opting to simulcast their television audio feed. This is a horrible trend, depriving fans of a call that fills in the gap and provides color. If the Jackets are that broke, maybe they should cut a player instead of this corner.

He said what? New Purdue athletic director Tommy McClelland delivered one of the worst one-liners ever at an introductory presser. “We are here to win championships and if you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.” McClelland admitted his attempt at humor failed. He went off script, but this leak was so bizarre it raises questions about his judgment. Purdue hasn’t won a national championship since the women’s golf team in 2010.

The Rockies sent the center fielder to the White Sox on Monday, hours ahead of the MLB trade deadline, in exchange for two prospects.

In return for the Gold Glove outfielder, Colorado gets right-handed starting pitcher (Chicago’s No. 8-ranked prospect) and infielder (unranked).

The emergence of Jake McCarthy and rookie Cole Carrigg into the Rockies’ lineup made Doyle, who has a controllable contract through 2029, expendable. McCarthy, who came over via an offseason trade with the Diamondbacks, is hitting .289 which ranks 13th in baseball. And Carrigg, who debuted on June 9, is hitting .305 with 5 homers through 46 games.

And the trade directly addresses Colorado’s most pressing need: starting pitching depth.

“With (the trade for) Brenton Doyle, we got a starting pitcher that has a chance to impact our rotation as early as 2027,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said. “… Probably the only way we would have moved Brenton was with a guy we thought could be one of our starting pitchers in relatively short order.”

Rockies sweep Royals at Coors Field as MLB trade deadline intrigue peaks

Doyle won consecutive Gold Glove Awards in 2023 and '24 while looking like a future pillar in the lineup. In the latter season, Doyle batted .260 with 23 homers and 30 steals while accumulating 3.9 bWAR. But his offense fell off last season, and then nosedived in 2026 as Doyle spent more than two months on the injured list with oblique and and groin issues. He is hitting .214 with one homer.

During Doyle's time on the IL, Carrigg and McCarthy shared duties in center field.

"We've talked about wanting three center fielders out there," DePodesta said. "So it wasn't a situation where we were thinking, 'Oh, well, we're going to move (one of) them.' But the fact that Jake has played so well, and Cole has played so well, at least freed us up a little to entertain it probably more than we would have five months ago."

Colorado re-instated Doyle from the IL last week ahead of the series against the Royals at Coors Field. He played in Friday and Saturday's game, with one hit in each game, but did not play in Sunday's series finale. For Doyle, the trade presents a chance to finally play for a contender. Doyle was a starter on three straight 100-plus loss teams in Colorado, but will now suit up for AL Central-leading White Sox, who are one of baseball's biggest surprises just two years after setting a modern record with 121 losses.

"We're happy for him that he's going to have chance to compete this year and get into the postseason," Colorado outfielder Mickey Moniak said. "Maybe a little change of scenery will be good for him (and his bat), and I know that as well as anyone."

In Adams, the Rockies get a prospect who is close to debuting after coming off Tommy John surgery in 2025. A 13th-round pick in 2022 out of Jacksonville University, the 26-year-old has a 4.25 ERA in nine games (7 starts) in Triple-A this season. He's a strike-thrower with plus command who has a low-90s fastball with a curveball, sinker, slider/sweeper and changeup that has cutter movement.

He features a low arm slot, allowing him to create good movement on east-west pitches, like the cutter, sweeper and curveball.

For a franchise hurting for starting pitching depth, taking a chance on Adams to become a part of the rotation in 2027 could be worth it. He is not on the 40-man, but would likely be added  this offseason if he doesn't get promoted to this big leagues this summer. On paper, his potential is a strong return for Colorado in the trade, considering the Rockies' outfield depth, Doyle's injuries this year and Doyle's lack of offensive productivity the last couple seasons.

Prior to his elbow injury, Adams posted a strong 2024, with a 2.44 ERA in 18 games in Double-A before getting a late-season promotion to Triple-A. That season included a 5.32 strikeout/walk ratio.

With Vielma, the Rockies are looking far down the road. The 16-year-old Venezuelan just completed his first season in the Dominican Summer League, where he slashed .337/.508/.474 while playing most third base, but also second and first.

"If you have a .500 on base in any league (like Vielma does in the DSL), that's pretty good, right?" DePodesta said. "He controls the strike zone really well. There's a really good foundation there offensively. Obviously, he's a long way away. But what he's done so far has been really impressive."

Doyle's trade was the second such move the Rockies made leading into the deadline, as Colorado also sent reliever Seth Halvorsen to the Dodgers on July 20 in exchange for Triple-A reliever Nick Frasso and Class-A outfielder Landyn Vidourek. And it ended up being the first of three deals that Colorado swung on Monday, as the Rockies also traded two relievers: Antonio Senzatela to the Brewers and Victor Vodnik to the Marlins.

After losing their previous six series, the Rockies took three from the Royals this weekend to open a six-game homestand at Coors Field. In the process, Colorado surpassed its 43-win total from 2025 while also showcasing several roster pieces whom the Rockies could move ahead of Monday’s 4 p.m. MT deadline.

In Friday’s homestand opener, right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano threw 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball Sugano’s been Colorado’s best starter this year, with a 4.47 ERA and 1.9 bWAR in 19 starts. That includes a 3.78 ERA and 7-2 record within hitter-friendly LoDo. He’s surged as of late, with a 2.95 ERA in three second-half starts.

Sugano’s salary is affordable ($5.1 million this year) and he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season. Among the teams in the hunt for the playoffs, the AL East-leading Rays, NL Central-leading Brewers and wild card contenders in the Cubs, Diamondbacks and Phillies could all use another reliable starter for a postseason push.

Saturday’s blockbuster trade that sent Cy Young southpaw Tarik Skubal from the Tigers to the two-time defending champion Dodgers took the top starting pitcher off the market.

Skubal, who is on an expiring contract, was dealt for three prospects in a deal that lacks a wow factor for Detroit’s return. The Tigers got outfielder Zyhir Hope, MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 prospect, plus right-handers River Ryan (No. 68) and Brady Smith (the Dodgers’ 17th-ranked prospect).

Of course Sugano won’t demand a return like Skubal, who is just the sixth reigning Cy Young winner to be traded in-season. But for a team desperate to shore up the back end of their rotation with someone who can gobble up quality innings, Colorado could get a prospect or two in return for the Japanese veteran.

In Saturday’s 12-6 win, all-star catcher Hunter Goodman continued his torrid season with two homers in his MLB-best sixth multi-homer game of the season. Pitchers are scared to attack Goodman with the fastball but he continues to hammer offspeed pitching, with his 32nd homer coming on a slider and his 33rd coming on a changeup. His 33 homers are tied for second in the majors with the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, with the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez setting the pace at 35.

Somewhat suspiciously, a day after blasting 808 feet worth of homers amid a 4-for-5, 5-RBI day, Goodman sizzling bat was not in the lineup in Sunday’s 8-1 victory that was highlighted by Kyle Freeland’s first career complete game. It was the Rockies’ first complete game since Chad Kuhl threw one on June 27, 2022, as Freeland allowed just one run on five hits and two walks. The 115-pitch effort came amid 99-degree temps at first pitch, the second-hottest first pitch temperature in Coors Field history behind a 100-degree game in 2012.

Back to Goodman: While there are reservations about Goodman’s defense — his sabermetrics at the position — his overwhelming offense and the fact that there are several teams in the playoff chase in need a power bat at the position could outweigh those concerns.

Whatever the case, the asking price for Goodman remains high.

Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta previously told The Denver Post a couple weeks ago that the return to trade Goodman would need to be substantial, as the front office sees him as a piece of Colorado’s next competitive team. So whatever the Rockies could get in a last-minute deal for the catcher would have to accelerate the club’s hopes of a rebuild faster than keeping Goodman’s power bat in the lineup for the three more years does.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosental reported last week that the Rockies want multi-player packages in return for Goodman. Colorado told Boston and Tampa Bay those packages would need to included each organization’s top prospect (shortstop Franklin Arias of the Red Sox and outfielder Theo Gillen of the Rays). The Yankees, whose catcher Austin Wells is hitting .162 with 7 homers, figure to remain in the mix as well.

Colorado’s other most obvious trade candidates are outfielders Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy, plus reliever Antonio Senzatala. McCarthy is among the best hitters in the National League with a .289 average along with 11 homers, including one Sunday, while Moniak is hitting .273 with 17 homers. Senzatela, who has a $14 million club option for 2027, has a 3.61 ERA in 34 games this season.

Trading Moniak or McCarthy would conceivably be a quick way to clear a roster spot for the debut of Charlie Condon, the first baseman/corner outfielder who is one of Colorado’s top prospects and has been knocking on the door in Triple-A Albuquerque.

Condon, Colorado’s prized prospect who was the No. 3 overall pick two years ago, has been knocking on the door of his debut in Triple-A Albuquerque all season. Rockies farm director Chris Forbes believes the first baseman/corner outfielder is tracking to appear in LoDo sometime in the second half.

“As far as getting a look (in the majors this season), I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t,” Forbes said. “There’s just a certain calmness to him. He’s the same guy every day. That’s been a big part of his professional journey is getting to the upper levels and recognizing how he wants to be when he shows up at the park every day.

“There’s a lot of chatter about him in the front office. I’m sure (Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes) want to get through the trade deadline here and see how that goes, and then navigate how this looks right after that.”

The is currently full, so Colorado would have to free up a spot in order to call up Condon. That could be accomplished via a trade ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, especially considering corner outfielders Mickey Moniak and Troy Johnston are candidates to be dealt.

Condon, 23, is hitting .288 with a .406 on-base percentage and 20 homers in 86 games for the Isotopes this season. He’s found his stride in the minors after a sluggish debut pro season in 2024 where he was affected by a bone spur on his right ring finger, and then a fractured left wrist at the start of last year’s spring training delayed him as well.

Forbes says he’s most impressed by how Condon has dealt with adversity at the plate this season as he’s faced the highest level of minor-league pitching.

“I feel like how he’s going about his process, how his work is on the days where he’s not having that success at the plate and how he’s handling that, the questions he’s asking, the stuff he’s diving into — he’s going to be ready for the opportunity (to debut),” Forbes said.

Arguelles and ACL Rockies win title

The Arizona Complex League Rockies won the ACL Championship Series on Tuesday at Salt River Fields, rallying for a walk-off win over the Reds to become the first Colorado affiliate to win a title since High-A Spokane in 2024.

Central to the ACL Rockies’ championship season was 19-year-old Venezuelan outfielder , who was promoted to Low-A Fresno on Wednesday. Arguelles, ‘s No. 5-ranked Rockies prospect, finished the regular season slashing .402/.478/.671 with 9 homers, 9 triples and 70 RBIs in 57 games.

With that, Arguelles became the first minor-leaguer to hit .400 in a full season in a domestic affiliated league since 2010, and the first to do so with a minimum of 200 plate appearances since 2008. It also marked the second straight season full season that Arguelles has done a Ted Williams impression, as he batted .423 for the DSL Rockies in the 2025 Dominican Summer League.

“His hands work really well, he’s got a good feel for the barrel, he uses all fields and has some power,” Forbes said. “There’s some matureness to what he does in the box. He’s the real deal and he’s a top 100 (prospect) in the game right now.”

Arguelles was the linchpin on a talented ACL Rockies team that led the Arizona Complex League with a .311 batting average and .904 OPS.

“(This title) will only help them down the road and in their development,” ACL Rockies manager Fred Ocasio . “We want to bring a championship to Denver, and this is the first step for these guys in learning how to make that happen.”

More prospect updates

The Rockies from the 2026 MLB Draft, and recently hosted those players for a week-long camp at Salt River Fields.

Colorado’s top three picks — Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson and UCLA right-hander Logan Reddemann — were all in attendance. The switch-hitting Bell will have surgery soon to repair and his pro debut will wait until 2027. Reddemann’s pro debut will also be pushed to next year, as Forbes noted “there’s not any urgency” to send the pitcher to an affiliate this summer.

In other injury news, Forbes said top prospect Ethan Holliday is progressing following to fix a stress fracture in his left foot. Forbes says the Rockies’ No. 4 pick last year is tracking to return to live action next spring.

“In a perfect world, you wish you could get him some winter ball at-bats or something like that, but I just don’t think we can rush it,” Forbes said.

Meanwhile, right-hander Brody Brecht is contemplating surgery to address a shoulder impingement that’s sidelined him since mid-May. He’s done for 2026, joining another top Colorado starting pitching prospect on the sidelines, as right-hander JB Middleton had season-ending internal brace surgery on his elbow in late June. ]]> 7818059 2026-07-29T16:52:47+00:00 2026-07-29T16:52:47+00:00 /2026/07/22/rockies-hunter-goodman-trade-renck/ Wed, 22 Jul 2026 19:50:57 +0000 /?p=7813274 Hunter is good, man.

That is what the shirt, worn by some Rockies teammates, reads. It is a lie.

Hunter is great, man.

With the trade deadline looming on Aug. 3, vultures are circling and trade rumors are surfacing over what it would take for the Rockies to move Hunter Goodman.

Goodman tied his career-high with 31 home runs on Tuesday, dropping to his back knee to launch an 87-mph slider over the left-field fence. He remains on pace to tie the single-season club record of 49.

He has more power in his bat than his former high school football teammate Kenneth Walker III has in his legs.

Only seven catchers have hit 40 homers in a season, leaving Goodman stalking Johnny Bench’s National League high-water mark of 45 set in 1970.

Goodman is a big deal, an All-Star. But he is not bigger than the Rockies.

He is great. But he is not greater than the Rockies need for starting pitching.

The easiest way for the Rockies to rebuild is by dealing Goodman.

And that is exactly what should NOT happen.

There is more than one way for the Rockies to climb back to relevance. They can execute multiple moves, including trading Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy, Antonio Senzatela, Brennan Bernardino, Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen and others.

Shipping out their 26-year-old catcher is the fastest path forward. It is not the best. The Rockies can afford to be patient with this chess piece.

The idea of trading Goodman sounds nuts to Rockies fans who are slowly warming back up to the franchise after nearly a decade of incompetence and arrogance.

People familiar with the Rockies’ thinking say the front office would have to be overwhelmed to deal Goodman.

Two agents suggested Wednesday it would take four of an organization’s top 30 prospects, including one in the top three and a second in the top 10.

A former big league GM believes the Rockies could only land three players because a pair of other catchers are on the market, Oakland’s Shea Langeliers and Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman.

One-time Reds and Nationals GM Jim Bowden proposed a blockbuster with the Red Sox: Goodman in exchange for big league starter Connelly Early, middle infielder Marcelo Mayer, defensive catcher Carlos Narvaez and No. 4 pitching prospect Kyson Witherspoon.

That is not the Herschel Walker deal, but it represents a dramatic overpay.

That is why the Rockies must pick up the phone if Boston, the Yankees or Rays call. Any team making this move will view Goodman as a long-term solution and believe it can win the World Series.

Desperation is the world’s worst cologne, and if somebody wants to swing a deal that requires pinching their nose, the Rockies have to consider it.

Remember, they are under new management. No longer are they trotting out tired excuses — we love our players, we did not get any offers, we want to hold onto our guys until they have no value — that produced the annual Snoozapalooza at the trade deadline.

There is actually a good explanation for keeping Goodman, whom ESPN ranks as MLB’s eighth best trade candidate.

First are the finances. Goodman remains under team control through the 2029 season.

There has been no movement on a long-term deal — when shortstop Ezequiel Tovar got his extension in 2024, he approached the Rockies and signed what, at the time, was a team-friendly, seven-year, $63.5 million contract. However, the Rockies can follow Goodman through the arbitration process without breaking their budget.

For now, he is the most cost-controlled big bat in the big leagues.

Secondly, Goodman has evolved into a serviceable catcher, improving enough to silence talk of a position switch or becoming a full-time DH. He is also a trusted pitch framer and ranks fourth in successful ABS challenges this season.

As the Rockies assess who will be part of their core when the team contends again, Goodman is penciled on the list because of his power, position and paycheck.

It would be cool if Colorado kept Moniak and McCarthy, players easy to root for because of their energy and production. But the Rockies desperately need rotation help, knowing prized free agents are never going to line up to pitch at Coors Field.

Colorado’s top pitching prospects — JB Middleton, Brody Brecht, Griffin Herring — are all struggling this season, and Sean Sullivan did not look like a future starter in his three-game big league cameo this summer.

The Rockies can never fear trading position players for arms, and they have a battery of capable outfielders on the big league roster and in Triple-A.

Moniak has resurrected his career in Colorado. He could pull a top 20 pitching prospect and a second player in the top 30. You have to trade him.

McCarthy profiles so well for the Rockies with his speed and positional versatility that it would hurt to ship him out. But with the Phillies and Astros making calls, DePodesta and Byrnes cannot be blamed if they take multiple pitchers for the leadoff hitter.

And if a contender wants a defensive whiz in Brenton Doyle for a first-round draft pick — that is what the Giants got for all-glove, no-hit catcher Patrick Bailey in May — do it.

Why deal Moniak, McCarthy or Doyle? Internal options. Cole Carrigg needs to play every day. Charlie Condon is thisclose to a promotion as he boasts 20 home runs and a .408 on-base percentage at Albuquerque. He strikes out 24.6 % of the time, countered by a 13.8% walk rate.

His bat is ready for the bigs.

“With Charlie, first of all, he’s getting used to playing first base and the outfield. Second of all, as he has evolved as a hitter, he is showing he is smart, structured and disciplined,” Byrnes said. “He is learning to strike that balance with getting to a spot to do damage. He has done that really well.”

The Rockies also have Jordan Beck hitting the reset button at the plate with the Isotopes, Zac Veen, a work in progress defensively, with 48 extra-base hits and the athletic Sterlin Thompson in the mix.

“We have real depth there,” Byrnes said. “And that’s a good thing as we think through our best roster moving forward.”

Senzatela, rejuvenated as a reliever, has to go. Same with the lefty Bernardino. The idea is to get younger and better, eventually.

The new front office, which impressed agents with its accurate draft valuations, is starting to inspire confidence that it can deliver a productive trade deadline.

It should not include Goodman. But clearly on the mound, the Rockies need a lot more good men.

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The World Cup should be embarrassed by the suspension of United States Men’s National Team forward Folarin Balogun for serious foul play (SFP). It was TBS (Total Bull(sheet).

When a Bosnia-Herzegovina player reacted to the decision by hugging Balogun apologetically on the pitch, it tells you how awful the call was.

Here is what irks.

After Balogun stepped on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle as they were playing the ball, it was not deemed worthy of a card by referee Raphael Claus. Then the video assistant referee Juan Ernesto Soto Arévalo gave Bosnia a Christmas gift.

Using slow-motion replays, which is not the correct application of protocols because it was not a tackle situation, Arevalo determined the play was dangerous, and Balogun received a red card. It is the equivalent of an NBA player getting tangled up on a rebound, and a no-whistle turning into an ejection.

It makes no sense. No person can objectively watch the contact and see intent.

Worse, Lionel Messi, the Argentinian soccer god, stepped on the back of an Algerian player’s calf on Tuesday and received nothing. Zilch. Whether it was clumsy or not, it looked more purposeful than any action by Balogun.

“For me, never is it a red card,” USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

There is no way around it. The U.S. could use Balogun against the veteran-laden Belgium team on Monday in Seattle. Balogun has established himself as one of the best forwards in American history, capable of well-timed rocket bursts to create space and unafraid of physicality.

But playing without him for 30 minutes, the U.S. showed how it can beat Belgium.

The Americans won their first knockout game in 24 years because they won ugly. They can reach the finish line in different ways now, a stark contrast to previous decades of underwhelming teams and performances on the biggest stage.

Ricardo Pepi figures to start in place of Balogun. He played for the injured Christian Pulisic in a 2-0 win over Australia in the group stage. So, he is not wandering into the spotlight with dilated pupils.

Everything about the call against Balogun stunk. But this U.S. team should not sink. The Americans made it to the Sweet 16, the bare minimum requirement for a group with this talent. It is time to show the grit that surfaced at the end of the last victory for 90 minutes.

There was no playing the victim. The anger became motivation. It must be channeled again.

Two weeks ago, those outside of the soccer world did not know who Balogun was — admittedly, I barely did as I was researching for potential future columns. Now, every fan is furious and concerned about how the Americans will manage without him.

The best answer to a ridiculous VAR? Go BTA (Belt to bleep) against Belgium, freeing Balogun to play in the next game.

One-score horror: ESPN unearthed a statistic that frames the challenge facing the Broncos, one that I have emphasized when criticizing the team’s static offseason. From 2015-2024, only one team that led the league in one-score wins won a playoff game the following season. The Chiefs had the most one-score victories in 2020 and won a postseason game in 2021 before falling in the conference finals. The Broncos won 11 one-score games last regular season. The best way to avoid the follow-up trap? Play fewer close games because of a more dynamic offense, especially after the opening six-pack.

Condon Knocking: Pretty soon, the Rockies will not be able to avoid the question. Ideally, they would have kept outfielder Charlie Condon in the minors until September call-ups. He is making that increasingly difficult. Not only does the top prospect have 20 home runs in 73 Triple-A games, but his strikeout rate is reasonable (23.5 percent), and he is walking 14.6 percent of the time. Metrics that suggest he is ready for a promotion. The trade deadline is Aug. 3. That should be the latest Condon arrives in the big leagues, as the Rockies ship out an outfielder or two for pitching.