With the MLB trade deadline two weeks away on Aug. 3, the Rockies executed the first of what could be several deals, shipping hard-throwing Seth Halvorsen to the Dodgers for Triple-A reliever Nick Frasso and Class-A outfielder Landyn Vidourek.

“The idea of this trade was being able to add a player that is close for us at the major-league level in a similar role, and then taking a shot at a guy we feel has a significant upside,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said.

Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes spent 11 seasons in the Dodgers organization as the senior vice president of baseball operations. So, he is leaning on familiarity in this transaction, which centers on Frasso.

The 27-year-old right-hander features a crossfire delivery from the third base side of the rubber, creating some funky movement given his 6-foot-5 frame. The Dodgers acquired Frasso from Toronto when Byrnes had his fingerprints on Los Angeles’ minor league system. Frasso brings heat, with his fastball sitting between 97 and 100 mph in his last Triple-A outing for the Oklahoma City Comets. He was considered one of baseball’s top 100 prospects when the Dodgers acquired him, but injuries slowed his progress.

He has 40 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings this season with a 4.74 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in 21 games, using a delivery that draws comparisons to former big leaguer Jeff Weaver. Frasso will join his new franchise in Triple-A Albuquerque.

“He’s very tough on right-handers,” DePodesta said. “And while he hasn’t had the major-league opportunities yet that Seth has, we think he’s right on the cusp of that. We feel like he’s got a chance to help us here pretty soon.”

Added Byrnes, “He is right on the doorstep. He is front of mind as we think of staff at big league level. With the trade, we wanted to have him come in at the same level to get his feet on the ground.”

The Rockies are gambling that Frasso will be a better fit than the 26-year-old Halvorsen, who boasted a live fastball, but failed to gain traction.

“Seth has tremendous upside, and he’s already had some major-league success,” DePodesta said. “He clearly has a special fastball. And I’ve always very much appreciated his mentality. He’s not afraid and wants to be on the mound in big moments.

“So for all those reasons, we were hesitant to trade him. That being said, there was real interest in him around the league, and it is an area where we’ve got some real depth (in the bullpen).”

Halvorsen, selected in the seventh round of the 2023 draft by the previous Colorado regime, showed potential with a 100-mph fastball. However, he struggled with his command. He posted a 4.74 ERA in 21 games this season in the big leagues, issuing 15 walks in 19 innings, and was a frequent victim of the long ball. The right-hander allowed 12 home runs over the past two seasons, including nine on the road where he owns a career 5.46 ERA.

In Vidourek, the Rockies are taking a flier on a young left-handed hitter with power and position versatility who has to tame his strikeouts. He will report to Low-A Fresno.

“(Vidourek) has a rare combination of power and speed,” DePodesta said. “I think he has a chance to be a well-above-average defender in the outfield, too, to go along with it.”

Byrnes was part of the Dodgers front office that drafted Vidourek out of Cincinnati in the third round a year ago. He can put a charge in the baseball — 18 extra-base hits in Class-A — and has nine stolen bases this season. But he must show better plate discipline, as evidenced by his 100 strikeouts in 210 at-bats and a .170 batting average in Low-A. The Rockies will continue to play him in right field and center field.

“He is a really, really good athlete,” Byrnes said. “We have to solve the strikeout issue. Which he knows.”

The Rockies have several players who are expected to garner trade interest in the coming days, including reliever Antonio Senzatela and outfielder Mickey Moniak. DePodesta says the club will listen to offers for all players on the roster.

Avoid four straight 100-loss seasons

Only four MLB franchises have lost 100-plus games four seasons in a row, and it would be an important moral victory for the Rockies to avoid joining this dubious club that features the Boston Doves/Braves (current Atlanta Braves) from 1909-12, the Phillies (who hold the record with five consecutive from 1938-42), the Washington Senators (current Rangers) from 1961-64, and the New York Mets from 1962-65.

At 39-59 (.398) entering Friday, the Rockies need to go 24-40 (.375) to finish 63-99.

To finish with 99 losses would be a huge leap from last year’s historically inept 119-toss campaign. It would also be an obvious sign that Colorado’s first-year front office, led by president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes, has some traction.

Can the 2027 Rockies be the White Sox, who are in first place in the AL Central this season, two years after setting a modern record with 121 losses? Probably not, considering the Rockies’ division is much tougher, but look at what Chicago did last season. The White Sox cut their defeats by 19 to 102. They let young talent flourish while adding some big names around them, i.e., signing all-star first baseman Munetaka Murakami this year.

Make impactful trade-deadline moves

The Rockies need to start winning the trade deadline and break the habits under past GMs Bill Schmidt and Jeff Bridich that simply weren’t working — no matter if Colorado was a buyer or a seller. This year’s deadline is August 3.

A quick recent history lesson of Colorado trade deadlines gone wrong: Recall how Schmidt didn’t move Elias Diaz at the 2023 trade deadline, when the catcher’s market value peaked with his All-Star selection and subsequent MVP in the Midsummer Classic. Instead, the Rockies hung onto Diaz into 2024, didn’t trade him again, and then released him that August and got nothing for him.

Even when the Rockies made an aggressive selling move last season, sending third baseman Ryan McMahon in exchange for minor-league pitchers Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz, that was an empty trade for Colorado until DePodesta salvaged it with a deft deal in January. Herring has an 8.06 ERA in Hartford this year, and Grosz was dealt to the Diamondbacks in an offseason trade that brought outfielder Jake McCarthy to Colorado.

Going back even further, the Rockies’ trade-deadline record is mediocre at best.

See: Not trading shortstop Trevor Story at the 2021 deadline (Story declined Colorado’s qualifying offer that offseason, and the Rockies got a comp pick for that, which they used on recently-debuted outfielder Sterlin Thompson). And in 2017 and ’18, the Rockies didn’t do enough to bolster playoff teams. That was especially true in ’18, when Colorado had its first division title within its sights, but its only significant deal was for right-handed reliever Seunghwan Oh with the Blue Jays. Oh was a valuable bullpen piece, but the Rockies needed more.

So this deadline, it’s clear Colorado needs to sell high on both right-hander Antonio Senzatela (who has a club option next season) and outfielder Mickey Moniak (under club control through 2027).

Senzatela has been the Rockies’ best bullpen arm this season, with a 3.31 ERA in 30 appearances and 1.4 WAR; after being converted from a starter, his market value has never been �󾱲�������and will probably come back down to earth next season. As for Moniak, he’s having another solid season, batting .278 with 15 homers, and in a crowded Colorado outfield, it’s hard to see the 28-year-old in Colorado’s long-term rebuilding plans.

DePodesta should also field offers for the team’s two veteran starters who could bring return value in the form of controllable minor-league arms. Those two possibilities are right-handers Michael Lorenzen (who has a club option for 2027 that includes a $250,000 buyout) and Tomoyuki Sugano (who is on a one-year deal; he’s currently on the IL for a back spasm issue that Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said isn’t serious).

Decide on a starting pitching plan for 2027

Speaking of starting pitching, Colorado should use the trade deadline and the second half to narrow its focus on a blueprint to address the team’s Achilles heel going forward. The Rockies must identify which current rotational arms could be options for the future, and who in the minors could realistically be projected to step up and fill gaps over the next couple of seasons.

Ryan Feltner, who is under club control for two more seasons and has a 4.55 ERA in 13 starts in 2026, is a safe bet to be part of the rotation again in 2027. Prized young pitcher Chase Dollander, whose 2026 season was ended by on his right elbow last month, is in the club’s future plans. But it’s unlikely he’ll be ready for a full starter’s workload in 2027.

Beyond those two, there are many questions and very few answers.

Longtime rotational mainstay Kyle Freeland has a 7.36 ERA in 17 starts; he has a that vests with 170 innings pitched this year. He’s currently at 88 innings and has only hit 170 innings once in his career, in 2022. The Colorado kid’s time in LoDo could be in its final chapter.

The second half will be a good chance for Colorado to evaluate some unproven arms — especially 2022 first-round pick Gabriel Hughes, and possibly southpaw Sean Sullivan, who is currently back in Triple-A — while formulating a rotational plan for 2027.

There’s not a ton of help on the immediate horizon on the farm, so DePodesta will have to get creative to continue to fill in the starting pitching gaps. Bringing back Lorenzen, who has trade value as discussed above, and signing a veteran or two off the scrap heap could be the course. While there are glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel in every other facet of the club, starting pitching depth remains the central issue that the Rockies must solve.

Figure out if Ezequiel Tovar is in the long-term plans

Ezequiel Tovar signed a at the end of spring training in 2024 and immediately made that deal look like a bargain for Colorado. That season, Tovar won his first Gold Glove Award and accumulated 3.4 WAR while hitting .269 with 26 homers and an NL-best 45 doubles.

But over the past two seasons, the falloff has been steep and undeniable, especially on offense.

Tovar had an injury-riddled 2025, limiting him to 95 games while sapping his power and diminishing his defensive wizardry. His hitting this season has been bad — he’s accumulated -0.7 bWAR while batting just .200 with eight homers in the first half. His bat at home, where he’s hitting .190 at Coors Field, has been especially concerning.

The Rockies’ next-in-line at shortstop, No. 1 prospect Ethan Holliday, was showing promise in his first full season of pro ball with Low-A Fresno. But a stress fracture in his left foot Drafted out of high school at No. 4 overall, Holliday is still several years away from the big leagues. Colorado also just used its most recent first-round pick this year on another shortstop, Kentucky switch-hitter Tyler Bell at No. 10 overall, though Bell is projected as a player who could change positions.

Colorado’s only other shortstop option on the 40-man roster is Ryan Ritter, who is currently in Triple-A.

So what will the Rockies do, considering Tovar has five more years left on his deal? They’ve been patient so far, but Tovar’s lack of production should make his role a talking point internally going forward.

… and same question with Brenton Doyle

The Rockies have also seen an alarming drop-off from center fielder Brenton Doyle.

Like Tovar, Doyle has also been sub-replacement level this season with -0.4 bWAR. Doyle, who won consecutive Gold Glove Awards in 2023 and ’24, is under club control for three more seasons. After slugging 23 homers with a .260 average in ’24, he regressed last season before nosediving in this one. Slowed by injuries in 2026 — he’s been on the injured list with an oblique contusion for almost two months — he’s batting just .207 with one homer in 43 games.

This season has been nothing short of a disaster for Doyle, and the production of Jake McCarthy (batting .301) as well as the arrival of promising rookie Cole Carrigg has created the possibility that Doyle is now expendable in center field.

First spring training, first Opening Day roster, first promising stretch and subsequent long losing streak.

The results: Decidedly mixed. Colorado is better than the past couple of years  and has shown improvement in some key metrics. At 38-56, the team has a chance to break a four-year streak finishing at the bottom of the NL West. At the same time, only the Los Angeles Angels enter Thursday with a worse record than Colorado’s, only the A’s have a worse run differential than Colorado’s minus-80 and the Rockies are currently pacing toward once again flirting with 100 losses.

As the summer has progressed, so, too, has Colorado’s youth movement. That will continue this weekend with yet another first for the revamped Rockies’ front office: The MLB Draft. It kicks off Saturday, runs through the weekend and features Colorado as one of the league’s more interesting teams.

The Rockies hold pick the No. 10 overall plus Nos. 37 and 38 in the Competitive Balance A round. Colorado will select five times total in the opening four rounds Saturday night (also Nos. 76 and 104), has 21 selections overall and checks in at No. 9 in baseball with a salary pool of $15,557,600.

There’s no firm consensus on which direction president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes will go at No. 10, nor what their approach to picking the first set of what will be truly their own players might look like.

“It was really starting to try to create a shared vision for the organization about what we wanted our guys to look like — both pitchers and position players,” DePodesta . “I think we’ve communicated that throughout the course of the spring with our scouts, our player development people, even with our Major League team.

“As we go into the Draft process, my guess is a lot of our selections will reflect that it’s hard to find 21 players for 20 rounds that are going to fit that precisely, so that’s not necessarily what we’re trying to do. It won’t be cookie cutter, but I think there will be elements of each of those players that absolutely fit our philosophies.”

Of course, many factors matter in finding successful big leaguers. Every team wants position players who are athletic, project to play up the middle, excel on defense and more.

One factor that appears to be carrying more weight these days among Rockies brass: Pitch selection.

They’ve raved about it with recent MLB promotion Cole Carrigg, who walked 27 times and struck out 39 in AAA this spring before getting called up. That was a major turnaround from 2025, when he walked 45 times and struck out 145 in AA.

“You want swing decisions that are probably in place (before promoting players),” Byrnes told The Post earlier this year, using a basketball analogy: Players have to know first which shot is theirs. Then they’ve got to make them.

The same goes for Roldy Brito, the fast-rising prospect who was recently named to MLB’s Futures Game, and others in the system.

According to recent TrueMedia data, Rockies prospects are swinging less and also chasing less than in years past. Across all minor leagues, the Rockies’ 45% swing rate is No. 18 and 26.4% chase rate is No. 24.

Compare to recent years:

2025: 47.3% swing (No. 2), 29.1% chase (No. 31)

2024: 48.6% swing (No. 1), 30% chase (No. 31)

2023: 47.4% swing (No. 3), 28.7% chase (No. 31)

Those numbers indicate a broader shift in approach and that teams can help young players make good swing decisions, but it would not be surprising if that is also a trait the Rockies will be pursuing as the draft kicks off.

On the pitching front, there is no magic answer for succeeding at Coors Field, but the way the Rockies’ front office identifies and selects pitchers will be equally interesting this weekend.

| Carlos Collazo | Updated July 8

No. 10, Slot value: $6.39 million — Derek Curiel, OF, LSU

Collazo: “I’ve still heard mostly college names for the Rockies here, and Derek Curiel and (Arkansas catcher) Ryder Helfrick are two of the most popular names. I wouldn’t rule out (Coastal Carolina RHP) Cameron Flukey or (Florida RHP) Liam Peterson, either.”

No. 37 (Comp. A), Slot value: $2.7 million — Jack Slightom, RHP, Lyons H.S. (LeGrange, Ill.)

No. 38 (Comp. A), Slot value: $2.63 million — Chase Brunson, OF, TCU

| Eric Longenhagen | Updated July 8

No. 10: Zion Rose, OF, Louisville

Longenhagen: “When a team has turnover at the top of their front office, I tend to mock college players to them the following year because it����ap much easier to get up to speed on the college class since the important high school activity has already happened when they’re hired. Rockies GM Josh Byrnes, who came from the Dodgers, has always seen lots of players throughout the amateur calendar, so I’m not sure that logic holds as true for him as the baseline. That said, Rose, who has homes from here to the mid-20s, does a lot of the stuff the Dodgers targeted in their drafts while Byrnes was there. He hits for contact, he’s fast, and he might have another offensive gear if his approach and swing can be tweaked so that he pulls the ball more.”

| Mark Powell | Updated July 7

No. 10: Curiel

Powell: “If Tyler Bell or Drew Burress makes it this far, expect the Rockies to pounce. In recent weeks, we projected the Rockies as the first team to really consider Justin Lebron, but that would not be the smartest choice. Rather, Derek Curiel is atop the second tier of collegiate hitters. The LSU product didn’t make the college baseball postseason through no fault of his own. He’s an overlooked college bat who has a 60-grade hit tool from the left side. While not the flashiest pick, the Rockies need more players like Curiel to build from the ground up.”

| Keith Law | Updated July 6

No. 10: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky

Law: “I think the Rockies are more likely to go hitter than pitcher, and more likely to go college than high school, with Bell, Derek Curiel, Ryder Helfrick and Liam Peterson all possibilities.”

| Jonathan Mayo | Updated July 2

No. 10: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia

Mayo: “This continues to feel like another spot for a college hitter, with Lebron, Curiel, Bell and Hacopian also in the mix, but the Rockies might opt for the pure hit tool and plate discipline Gracia provides. The one arm they might consider is Florida right-hander Liam Peterson.”

No. 37 (Comp. A): Cade Townsend, RHP, Mississippi

No. 38 (Comp. A): Chase Brunson, OF, TCU

| Kiley McDaniel | Updated June 18

No. 10: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama

McDaniel: “Lebron is a polarizing player who is all over the place on draft boards. The Rockies need standout talent and can afford to be patient. I think scouts have gotten frustrated watching Lebron not make the leap this year and are overrating how bad his contact issues will be in pro ball; with a slightly flatter swing plane, I think there’s a happy medium between contact and power. We’re almost into the ‘the next 20 players are all really similar’ part of the draft.”

But if someone’s willing to hand him stupid money, some crazy return, for those sexy wheels? Here’s the keys, brother. Go nuts.

“I really like my car. I’m not looking to sell my car,” told me by phone Friday. “But if someone came up to me and said, ‘Man, I sure like your car, I’ll give you $60K for it,’ for some reason, I might do that. But I’m not looking to do it.”

If a contender is from their farm system for Goodman, the Rockies catcher who’s hit more home runs before the All-Star break (27) than any Colorado player since Larry Walker in 2001, then heck yes, you bite. You’d be nuts not to.

The problem? Szymborski says he can’t see any franchise, including the oft-discussed Yankees, that would be willing to meet that asking price for the sweetest ride on 20th & Bleak.

“Teams hang on to top-top prospects a lot more greedily than they used to,” Szymborski continued. “Although Hunter Goodman is really good, you’re not going to get two top-60 guys. (If you could), you do it.”

Goodman’s 26. and is reportedly under team control through 2029. He’s on pace to hit 50 jacks while paradoxically doing most of his damage (18 of 27 homers) away from Coors Field.

“I think (Goodman’s) bat will play anywhere,” “(But) I don’t think he’s going to be a guy that’s going to hit 40 home runs somewhere else. It may be that this is as good as it gets. This may be his peak. If somebody bowls you over with an offer, I think you take it. If not, I think you wait to do this at a time where a team is desperate enough to where you can really make it work for your organization.”

at minus-2 heading into the weekend, while T as a plus-2 through 484 2/3 innings behind the plate. So that’s a wash — a playable, decent glove with an All-Star bat. A bargain who won’t turn 30 until October 2029.

The Rox still may not be any darned good by then, which is the No. 1 argument for dealing Goodman now. But that’s also why the new(ish) braintrust of Walker Monfort, Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes can afford to be choosy. Goodman’s the fattest goose they can take to market. If they shoot, they can’t afford to miss.

“I think I would actually be inclined to hang on to him,” Szymborski noted. “The Rockies could get a lot of value for him, but this is a team that’s finally getting the idea that they need to throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. I think they could actually come together as a decent team in a few years.

“There’s still a lot of things to like. So it’s not necessarily a good time to trade (him). Also, catcher is a deep position around the league. So I would probably hang onto him. I would see the case for trading him, too, but he’s not going to bring back a superstar return.

“The problem is that The (Jeff) Bridich Era put the team in such a hole where they have little MLB talent and very little MILB talent. It’s hard to build from nothing.”

Which is why you can’t swap him for nothing, either. It’s easy to look at the suddenly-contending White Sox, who were somehow worse in ’24 (121 losses) than the Rockies were in ’25 (119 losses), and get stars in your eyes. Yet there are some significant circumstantial differences between the Pale Hose revival, the best story in baseball, and rebuilding purple pinstripes into a power again.

For one, the South Siders play in MLB’s version of the NFC South — and shock injuries to Detroit ace Tarik Skubal and to what feels like 70% of the Royals’ roster suddenly threw a crapola division into wide-open chaos. For another, after the Yankees and Rays, the American League this year is hot garbage compared to the Senior Circuit. For yet another, the White Sox microwaved themselves off the mat by dealing young, front-line starting pitching (Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito), with the Garrett Crochet-to-Boston haul somehow bringing back three solid starting bats into the ChiSox’s current lineup.

The Rockies don’t have anywhere near that level of cost-effective surplus of arms at present. And while the conversion of Antonio Senzatela from failed starter to late-inning weapon has been a revelation, set-up men typically don’t bring back much on the trade market.

Outfielder Mickey Moniak could help a lot of going-for-it clubs in need of a lefty bat, but he also went into this past Friday hitting .219 with a .689 OPS outside of Coors. Which means, whatever your buddy thinks the Rox would get for Mick The Stick, take away a prospect from that package, or drop said prospect down a minor-league class.

In the meantime, arguments for keeping Goodman now keep whispering like angels from the opposite shoulder. Even with a livelier ball and a three-outcome approach, 40-home-run catchers are rarer than the Wagyu at A5 Steakhouse. What kind of message are you sending to the clubhouse if you’re flipping a two-time All-Star in his prime? What kind of message are you sending to a fan base that’s been beaten down and conditioned to expect the worst?

“I think it’s dangerous asking your fan base to be even more cynical than it already is by trading a guy away at the point where he’s suddenly of value to other teams,” Jaffe said. “But I think you always have to be listening.

“If someone offers you the next Paul Skenes, I think you make that (trade). Always. But I don’t think anybody’s going to be offering that. They’re going to be trying to convince you that getting two A-ball prospects and a grab-bag catcher is going to be enough of a return.”

It isn’t. The Rockies have gone down this road recently at least twice before and whiffed on both occasions. The Nolan Arenado Giveaway of 2021 will go down as the nadir of franchise history and the worst deal in Denver that didn’t involve Russell Wilson. In July 2015, Colorado landed Jeff Hoffman, Jose Reyes, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins, and again, the kids that came back amounted to bupkis.

Don’t settle. Set the bar high. Yankees farmhands Dax Kilby and Elmer Rodriguez would look awfully good in purple. But if the Bronx Bombers aren’t willing to go that far, close the briefcase, pack it up and move on to a suitor who’s serious. Or more desperate.

“Everybody has a price,” Szymborski said.

And you don’t move Goodman until a contender is hungry enough to meet yours. Not while the Mazda’s got that many miles left in the tank.

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.”

Cole Carrigg’s off to a pretty solid start in his MLB career, but why was he promoted instead of Charlie Condon or Zac Veen? Was he just playing that much better than them? Is it to manage their service time in the majors? A little of both? Thanks.

— Marshall, Parker

Marshall, since you submitted your question, Carrigg has been sensational. It’s not about service time.

In the Rockies’ excruciating loss to the Cubs on Monday night, he drove in all four runs and hit an eighth-inning, three-run home run that should have stood as the game-winner.

Carrigg plays with a swagger and an edge, and in that regard, he reminds me of Troy Tulowitzki as a rookie. I asked one of Tulo’s former teammates if he shared my opinion.

“I see some,” the teammate responded. “Tulo wasn’t on the razor’s edge of out of control like Carrigg.”

Anyway, to your question, the Rockies front office sees a lot of things that fans don’t see, and that I don’t see or consider. Paul DePodesta, the president of baseball operations, recently told me that they take a hard look at “the process” a player has in the minors as a major part of their decision on when to promote a player.

Carrigg has proven that he was ready. I think promotions for Condon and Veen could very well depend on what happens as the trade deadline nears.

Patrick, I heard you’re leaving soon. It’s been a pleasure reading your coverage all these years. The Denver sports community is losing an absolute legend. What are some of the most memorable moments of your career?

— Ryan C., Aurora

Ryan, thanks for your kind comments.

Leaving The Post after nearly 28 years is a hard and emotional decision, but it was time. The buyout I was offered made me accelerate my retirement timeline. The baseball beat, particularly covering a losing Rockies team over the last few years, has been a grind. Plus, the industry is changing fast, and I’m becoming a bit of a dinosaur.

I have far too many memories to mention here in any detail, so I will list a few: Rocktober; covering all three of the Broncos’ Super Bowl title wins; watching Nolan Arenado play third base; spending time in the dugout talking baseball and music with Bud Black; being at Todd Helton’s house in Tennessee when he got the call that he was elected to the Hall of Fame; working with some incredible colleagues, especially Kyle Newman and Troy Renck; crazy, fun times in the press box with the crew; covering games at all 30 major league ballparks; having Coors Field as my office on perfect summer nights; and forming a friendship with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, with whom I’ve had a bromance for 25 years.

I’ll be writing a farewell story soon, so keep an eye out for it.

Did you expect T.J. Rumfield to be our breakout star this season? I certainly didn’t, but, boy, is it nice to have a solution at first base after so many years of failed experiments. Do you think he’ll win the Rookie of the Year award?

— Mike, Denver

Mike, I was excited about Rumfield after seeing him play in spring training and reading the reports on his skill set. As I wrote in February: “T.J. Rumfield was a big-league first baseman trapped in Triple-A limbo.”

But I have been surprised by the quality of his at-bats; he’s been hitting like a seasoned veteran. His glove work at first base has been outstanding.

However, I don’t think he’ll be named the National League’s top rookie, for a few reasons.

First, he plays in Colorado for a team with the worst record in baseball and he’s not going to get much attention from the baseball writers who vote for the award.

Second, he plays his home games at Coors Field, which will automatically disqualify him in the minds of some voters. That’s a shame, because he’s hit just as well on the road as at home. At Coors, he’s slashing .263/.353/.449 (.802 OPS), with five homers and 22 RBIs. On the road, he’s slashing .287/.359/.465 with four homers and 12 RBIs.

Third, there are several strong candidates, led by Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt, Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, and Mets right-hander Nolan McLean.

Are you surprised, disappointed, or comfortably numb by how the Rockies have performed so far this season?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Comfortably numb? You must be a Pink Floyd fan.

Anyway, I’m not sure my characterization is on your list. I would say mildly encouraged, but the state of the pitching staff is a huge concern.

Hey Patrick! Who do you think has the best shot at becoming our lone representative at the All-Star Game? I thought it was going to be Mickey Moniak before he went on IL. I feel like our best shots are Hunter Goodman, Antonio Senzatela or Tomoyuki Sugano.

— Ryan, Aurora

Ryan, the Rockies will have only one representative, and it’s going to be Goodman for the second consecutive season. As I write this, he’s slashing .255/.327/.537 (.864 OPS) with 27 RBIs.

The club’s prized right-hander is likely facing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament, most likely Tommy John surgery.

“It����ap looking like surgery on the UCL,” manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters in Las Vegas. “Nothing is set in stone, but that����ap the way it����ap trending.”

As trends go, that’s about as bad as it gets. The Rockies, once again, have the worst starting rotation in the majors, owning a 5.88 ERA heading into Saturday night’s game vs. the A’s in Las Vegas.

Dollander, selected out of the University of Tennessee with the ninth overall pick of the 2023 draft, was supposed to author Colorado’s bright new chapter. But for all of his 100 mph firepower and talent, Dollander’s big league career had a rocky start.

As a rookie last season, he posted a 2-12 record with a 6.52 ERA, including a 9.98 mark at Coors Field. It was a bitter taste of reality for a pitcher that many in the organization believe can become the best pitcher in franchise history.

One reason for belief is a mentality that seems to prepare Dollander for success and the ability to cope with failure. As The Denver Post’s Troy Renck wrote during spring training, “Dollander believes the worst season of his life will be the best thing that happened to him.

“I will take the lessons I learned from it through the rest of my career,” Dollander said, looking back on Colorado’s 119-loss debacle. “I think if you don’t take it personally, you are not in a good spot. I definitely did. No. 1, we are too good to be getting tossed around like this. And No. 2, I am too good to be getting tossed around like this.”

But now Dollander’s career is being flipped upside-down. He is scheduled to be examined by Dr. Keith Meister next Friday. Meister, based in Texas, is an orthopedic surgeon and a specialist in elbow reconstruction. If Dollander undergoes surgery, he’ll be done for the rest of this season and most of next year. An internal brace procedure usually means a 12 to 14-month recovery. If Dollander requires a full elbow reconstruction, there’s a chance he’ll miss the entire 2027 season.

Either way, it’s a huge blow and presents a Mount Elbert-sized challenge for the Rockies’ front office.

More than seven months ago, in a suite at the Cosmopolitan Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, Paul DePodesta made a light-hearted but prophetic statement.

“I’ve used this phrase before, but I’m a bit of a sucker for a challenge,” DePodesta said with a laugh.

The Rockies’ president of baseball operations was less than a week into his new job when he made that quip during Major League Baseball’s general managers’ meetings.

“I have been part of (a rebuild) a number of different times,” DePodesta continued. “And I actually really enjoy it. I love winning — don’t get me wrong, that����ap ultimately where I want to get to — but building that, getting to the winning, is incredibly gratifying. So that was absolutely part of the attraction.”

Now, however, DePodesta and Co. have to figure out how to handle this glitch in their blueprint. The Rockies have some intriguing pitching prospects, including lefty Sean Sullivan (who made his debut Friday night), and right-handers Gabriel Hughes, Eiberson Castellano and Jackson Cox. But there is no pitcher in the system that has Dollander’s talent or wow factor.

DePodesta, general manager Josh Byrnes, and their lieutenants must work a trade like the one that landed right-hander German Marquez. He was acquired in one of the best deals in franchise history.

In January 2016, former GM Jeff Bridich engineered a trade for Marquez and reliever Jake McGee from Tampa Bay in exchange for outfielder Corey Dickerson and minor-league infielder Kevin Padlo.

Marquez debuted in late 2016 and made 29 starts in 2017 (4.39 ERA). In 2018, at age 24, he blossomed into a star with one of the best seasons ever by a Rockies starter. He struck out 230 in 196 innings and finished with a 3.77 ERA. Over his final 14 starts, Marquez struck out 124 in 93 innings, posted a 2.61 ERA, and had six double-digit strikeout games — including four 11-K games in September as the Rockies qualified for the playoffs and came one win away from unseating the Dodgers from the National West throne.

The Rockies look like they are at least two seasons away from being a playoff contender. Without Dollander, that timeline gets dicey — unless DePodesta and Co. can work some magic before the Aug. 3 trade deadline and during the offseason.

The Rockies no longer embarrass themselves with split-squad spring training lineups or pitchers who need a compass to find the strike zone. It had grown so odorous, seven straight losing seasons, three consecutive with 100 losses. The spectacular failure was made worse by leadership hilariously trying to camouflage incompetence with arrogance.

The on-field product has made strides. The Rockies entered Saturday 26-44. They did not reach this win total last season until July 23 when they were 26-76.

It makes me think the 2027 or 2028 Purple Rox could become the 2026 Chicago White Sox.

All of which means nothing.

And the best thing is that the new front office recognizes this.

“In general, there has been some improvement. But, we have to be realistic. We have a ways to go,” general manager Josh Byrnes told The Post. “We have to get better, create something sustainable and maintain high standards as we chase that.”

Approaching the midpoint of the season, the Rockies are likable and watchable. They are in such a better place that it is easy to forget the mountains left to climb. Colorado is on pace for 60 wins. The fact that number is encouraging provides a reminder of how awful things had become.

Crowing about avoiding 100 losses is like bragging about being valedictorian when home-schooled.

It is why Byrnes was reluctant to acknowledge the inching forward.

Truth is: what have they done?

There are pockets of success that should not be ignored, like first baseman T.J. Rumfield’s rookie-of-the-year candidacy, Antonio Senzatela’s remarkable conversion from MLB’s worst starter to a dominant reliever, Willi Castro’s versatility and Cole Carrigg’s caffeinated energy, his promotion a reflection of the organization’s emphasis on swing decisions that will translate to the big leagues — 15 % strikeout rate, 11 % walk rate in Triple-A.

Of course, there is the gnashing of teeth about the pitching. The Rockies play at altitude and, at times, without gravity.

The historically strong April for the rotation seems like forever ago because of injuries to Chase Dollander — he is likely facing UCL surgery in his right elbow — and Jose Quintana (elbow) and the Coors Field fatigue of Kyle Freeland.

Sean Sullivan provided a jolt in his big league debut on Friday, but it is hardly soothing balm on this headache.

Forget Byrnes and president Paul DePodesta; Connie Mack and Branch Rickey were not fixing the Rockies overnight.

But the franchise belongs to the new leaders, and it is time for them to flex their muscles.

The trade deadline is not until Aug. 3, but there is little to be gained by waiting.

Other than catcher Hunter Goodman and Dollander, no player should be untouchable.

The Rockies have started calling around, piecing together potential fits and wants, aiming to accelerate Colorado’s return to contention.

“We are constantly in touch with other teams. The brainstorming is constant. Some are more motivated than others,” Byrnes said.

Byrnes showed shrewdness in acquiring Rumfield for forgettable reliever Angel Chivilli. They recently landed minor league reliever Andrew Baker from the Phillies for international bonus pool space. Don’t be surprised if the right-hander is in the big leagues in a few months.

Moves of all sizes must be considered and executed over the next seven weeks. This is why DePodesta and Byrnes were hired. They have friends across baseball who will actually take their calls.

The biggest chip is shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. He has $50 million remaining on his contract after this season. That cost certainty is the reason for not dealing him, and why he could land a haul of prospects if the acquiring club believes he will hit.

It is obvious Senzatela will be dealt. Getting a future major league piece back is paramount.

If somebody wants to overpay for Seth Halvorsen so the Rockies get two relievers like him, pull the lever.

Mickey Moniak provides professional at-bats and power. But the timing could be right to move him for a legitimate prospect given the way Charlie Condon and Zac Veen are pushing the envelope in Triple-A. Or keep Moniak and package Veen as part of a bigger deal.

Nobody wants to sell low on center fielder Brenton Doyle, but contenders covet defense. Colorado has to listen.

The Rockies’ leaders don’t have all the answers. I prefer those making decisions have fallibility and humility. It makes their efforts thorough and exhaustive, adjectives long a stranger on Blake Street.

The deadline and the July draft are the touchstones for overhauling a franchise. For too long in Colorado, they brought dread, inactivity and embarrassment, or all of the above.

It is on these front office executives to change the narrative.

Their knowledge, their experience, their willingness to take chances on deals and waiver claims, like Troy Johnston, will be needed to revive a franchise that has made ignoring baseball a local pastime.

The job started in the winter. But the real work begins now, where right moves can put the Rockies on the White Sox’s trajectory. Chicago went 41-121 and 60-102 over the past two seasons, and is on pace to finish 88-74 this year.

Rox to Sox? That works.

“You can get out of it. Detroit kind of flipped it. Miami is doing better. Baltimore tanked and turned it around,” Byrnes said. “And the White Sox are showing what can happen with savvy moves. We have made progress, but we are nowhere near where we want and need to be.”

But how high has it climbed? And how much better must the offense become to make the Rockies a team with legitimate playoff aspirations? The results have been mixed.

Manager Warren Schaeffer said recently that the Rockies had made “incredible strides,” crediting hitting coaches Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco, along with Paul DePodesta, president of baseball operations, and general manager Josh Byrnes, for the improvements.

To review, this is the kind of offense Schaeffer envisions.

“We want to put the ball in play, because we were punching out so doggone much last year,” he said. “We want to move the line (by) using the bunt hit, walking, stealing bags, and just playing total offense. That’s what I believe in. That’s what I’ll always believe. Our personnel is directed more toward that this year, for sure.”

The Blake Street Bombers aren’t coming back, so the Rockies are trying to create a well-rounded offense that pressures the opposition and doesn’t go dormant on the road so often.

“Over 162 games, it might seem like slow progress to the outside world, but we track it and it’s going well,” Schaeffer said.

OK, time to crunch the numbers and see just how high the offense has climbed.

Big picture

Colorado entered the weekend series against the Athletics in Las Vegas with a 26-43 record and was on pace to finish 61-102. After 69 games last season, the Rockies were 13-56, and ultimately finished 43-119.

The Rockies’ minus-424 run differential in 2025 was the worst in baseball’s modern era (since 1900), surpassing the 1932 Boston Red Sox (minus-349). No other team has posted a minus-400 run differential at any point in a season in the modern era. Currently, the Rockies have a minus-100 run differential and are on pace to finish with a minus-235.

Slash line

Last season, Colorado’s .237 average, .293 on-base percentage, .386 slugging percentage, and .679 OPS were all the lowest in franchise history.

Things are looking up. Entering the weekend, the Rockies’ slash line was .249/.319/.396 with a .715 OPS. Not an offensive juggernaut by any means — by comparison, the mighty Dodgers are hitting .264/.346/.443 with a .789 OPS — but an improvement.

Clutch hitting

The 2025 Rockies batted .233 with runners in scoring position, the second-lowest average in the majors and the lowest in franchise history. Colorado’s 29 home runs with runners in scoring position were tied for 27th in the majors and tied for the lowest in a full season in franchise history with the 2013 club.

There has been marked improvement this season. The Rockies are hitting .258 with runners in scoring position, ranking 11th in the majors. However, Colorado’s 12 homers with runners in scoring position rank 26th.

Thievery

Schaeffer vowed that the Rockies would steal more bases, and they have. Through their first 66 games, they had swiped 53 bags, their most since 2000 when they had 63 stolen bases in 66 games.

The Rockies rank 10th in the majors. Last season, they finished with 87, ranking 23rd.

Swings and whiffs

Cleaning up all of the ugly, empty at-bats remains one of DePodesta’s top priorities.

“I think foundationally, we as an organization needed to have more plate discipline,” he said last Sunday. “This past year, our chase rate was the highest in baseball — not just in the big leagues, but also in Triple-A, also in Double-A, also in High-A, also in Low-A. So we have a lot of room to make up, just to be on par with some of our competitors in that space.”

Like Schaeffer, DePodesta believes that putting the ball in play is key, especially at Coors Field, where bloop singles, as well as doubles and triples into the alleys, can make life miserable for opposing pitchers.

“We just need to take advantage of all the holes that are out there in the outfield,” DePodesta said. “We need to be able to put more balls in play. In order to do that, we need to swing at better pitches to hit, and we’ve started to do that, which I think has been really encouraging.”

“We’ve started to do that,” is the key phrase here. Last season, the Rockies’ 1,531 strikeouts were the third-most in club history and second-most in the majors behind the Angels (1,627). This season, the Rockies have the fifth most with 621 and are on pace for 1,458. That’s an improvement, though not a massive improvement.

Last season, Colorado finished with a 51.0 swing percentage, a 31.7 chase percentage, and a 29.0 whiff percentage, all the highest marks in the majors.

There have been only incremental improvements this season.  The whiff percentage has dropped to 25.9% (12th highest), but the 51.1% swing rate remains the highest, as does the 34.4% chase rate.

Power supply

The Rockies are still not putting the ball over the wall with much frequency. The 2025 Rockies hit 160 home runs, ranking 25th in the majors and tied for the seventh-fewest for a full season in franchise history (also 2008). This season, Colorado has hit 67 homers (tied for 21st with San Diego) and is on pace to hit just 157 homers.

Curiously, and ominously, the Rockies have hit just 34 home runs at high-altitude Coors Field this season, ranking 19th in the majors. The Rockies are counting on the return of Mickey Moniak from an injured ankle and more homers from rookies like TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg to boost the power supply.

It’s the catchy slogan that the Rockies conjured up for their rebuild. The trek figures to be long and steep, but just how long and how steep depends on the route that Paul DePodesta, Josh Byrnes and company take.

The next few months will be telling. DePodesta, the president of baseball operations, and Byrnes, the general manager, must decide who to trade and who to hold onto before the Aug. 3 deadline. They must also decide which prospects to promote, and when.

It’s quite a to-do list.

Let’s start with the trade deadline, something the Rockies have often been reticent to maneuver in the past. DePodesta said trade talks right now are “preliminary.”

“We haven’t canvassed the league or anything like that, but we are starting to have some conversations if there is a potential match,” he said Sunday before the Rockies hosted the Brewers.

Jeff Passan, ESPN’s national baseball writer, that the Rockies “… are years away from contending, and nobody on their roster is untouchable.”

Asked about Passan’s take, DePodesta said, “There would be certain guys that would be really, really hard for us to move. I think that’s probably true of any team. There are guys that we feel are hopefully foundational players for us going forward.

“At the same time, we need to be opportunistic. We are not where we want to be. So, if there are opportunities for us to get better, certainly both in the short-term and the long-term, I think we need to look at that. I think it’s our responsibility to do that. But there are a lot of guys that we’re not actively shopping.”

Leading the list of “foundational players” would be All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman and 2024 Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. The Rockies would also have to think long and hard about trading top prospects like Charlie Condon and Zac Veen.

The Rockies’ top trading chip is reborn reliever Antonio Senzatela. He’ll be a free agent after this season, and he’s the kind of pitcher contending teams can use. Despite his meltdown in Colorado’s extra-inning loss to Milwaukee Friday night, the erstwhile starter has been one of baseball’s best relievers this season. He had a 1.98 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a .195 average against heading into Sunday. The Rockies will likely be looking for starting pitching prospects in a trade for “Senza.”

Outfielder Mickey Moniak, currently on the injured list with tendinitis in his right ankle, will draw interest, too. He’s having an All-Star-type season — .280/.335/.607 (.942 OPS), 12 homers — and he’s a team-first player. His checkered career shows that he can be streaky, but he can also be a sparkplug.

Caution signs for interested teams include Moniak’s home-road splits — .306 average, nine homers at Coors Field vs. .246 average and three homers on the road — and the fact that he has one more year of arbitration left on his contract. He’s making $4 million this season.

The other players who might draw interest include veteran utility player Willi Castro, outfielders Jake McCarthy and Troy Johnston, right-handed starter Tomoyuki Sugano, left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino, and right-handed reliever Jaden Hill.

The Rockies’ offseason trade of right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli for first baseman TJ Rumfield showed that the new front office is willing to trade talented relievers.

The Rockies’ brass has much to debate.

For example, Sugano has been the most consistent starter (5-5, 3.98 ERA over 12 starts), and he’s pitching on a one-year, $5.1 million deal. But given the shaky state of the rotation, should the Rockies move him, try to skate by with fill-in starters who aren’t ready, and risk becoming the kind of no-hope team they were last season?

Or, consider McCarthy’s situation. He’s thriving at the top of the order, can roam center field, and his speed is an asset the Rockies need. Plus, he is under team control for two more years of arbitration and won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season.

The quandary facing the Rockies is that center fielder Brenton Doyle (currently on the IL with an oblique injury) has regressed from his 2024 season, and there are now questions about whether he’ll ever become a plus player. So, can the Rockies afford to trade McCarthy?

It depends on how much confidence the Rockies have in their prospect. Waiting to get his big-league chance is outfielder Cole Carrigg, who has the athleticism to play center field. The question facing DePodesta and Byrnes is when to call up Carrigg.

Fans, of course, want to see Carrigg sooner rather than later. The same goes for Veen and Condon. Fans see scorching numbers at Triple-A Albuquerque and clamor for promotions.

DePodesta, however, has made it clear he won’t rush players up before he thinks they’re ready. For instance, he doesn’t expect Condon to be an immediate star in the big leagues. DePodesta understands that Condon will face some tough times in the majors, but he wants Condon to be able to handle that failure and continue improving. He doesn’t want players buried by failure.

Most of all, DePodesta and his crew take a deep dive into factors other than the statistics and hot streaks that excite fans. DePodesta points to outfielder Sterlin Thompson, who made his debut on May 15.

“What really changed was the process of his at-bats,” DePodesta said. “He had very good numbers last season in Triple-A (.296 average, .911 OPS, 18 homers, 28 doubles), but his underlying numbers weren’t quite as strong. And then about mid-April of this year, he just really locked in … And I think the process of his at-bats was as good as anybody at Triple-A. That gave us conviction that he was ready to come up here and face the next challenge.”

Plus, during the Rockies’ disastrous 119-loss 2025 season, we saw what can happen when players are called up too soon. It can be disastrous. Veen’s struggles — on and off the field — are proof of that.

The Rockies have indeed begun their climb back toward respectability, but they remain a long way from being a contender. The steps DePodesta and Co. take over the next few months will be critical.