TRADING STORY IS NOT A SURE BET
Interim general manager Bill Schmidt said the Rockies will do what is best for the team as the trade deadline nears. “We are not a farm system for other people.”
Don’t be surprised if star shortstop Trevor Story is still in a Rockies uniform after the July 30 trade deadline.
Interim general manager Bill Schmidt made that clear Thursday when he previewed the second half of the season.
With the All-star Game at Coors Field now in the books, the Rockies open a three-game series against the Dodgers on Friday night at Coors. While a playoff run appears unlikely, there’s plenty of rumors swirling about potential trades for Colorado to consider with multiple contracts expiring at the end of the season.
“Yes, we do have decisions to make, but we don’t have to move players for financial reasons,” Schmidt told The Denver Post. “At the end of the day, it will be about what we can get back. We are not a farm system for other people.
“It will come down to this: If we are offered something in a trade, is it good for the Rockies? If an offer is made, we
evaluate it and see if it makes sense. But we are not forced to do anything.”
Schmidt, who is in the running to become the permanent GM at the end of the season, also said that he’s made it “absolutely clear” to other teams that the Rockies will not trade ace righthander German Marquez, who pitched a one-two-three inning in his first All-star Game on Tuesday night.
Story, who’s making $17.5 million this year, is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of this season and there’s every indication he will not consider resigning with Colorado. That makes him a prime candidate to be traded.
Right-handed starter Jon Gray, right-handed reliever Mychal Givens and slugging first baseman C.J. Cron have also been the subject of trade speculation.
The common narrative has been that the Rockies need to trade Story and get what they can for him before the deadline. Media reports have connected Story to the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox, but no workable trades are percolating at this point.
Schmidt said that if the Rockies don’t receive an offer for Story that they like, they will be just fine holding on to the shortstop for the rest of the season.
If that’s the case, the Rockies would make Story a qualifying offer, which he would likely reject, thus becoming a free agent. At that point, the Rockies would be awarded a compensatory draft pick for 2022 after Story signs with his new team. If the lost player signs for at least $50 million — which would certainly be the case with Story — the team is awarded a compensatory pick after the first 30 picks of the first round.
“That might be better than what teams are offering us,” Schmidt said, noting that players such as Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and Ryan Mcmahon were drafted in the second round.
Story, in fact, was a compensatory pick in 2011, albeit under a different system. He was the 45th overall player selected. The Rockies gained the Story pick when Octavio Dotel signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I think we can find a good player in the draft, so we are not just going to give away players,” Schmidt said. “If people have an interest in our players, that’s good. But if you want somebody, make us a good offer.”
Gray, one of the best pitchers in Coors Field history, has said that “it would extremely rewarding” to win a World Series in Colorado and has indicated that he would be open to re-signing with the Rockies.
“We’d like to (re-sign) Jon,” Schmidt said. “If it’s possible, we’d like to work something out with Jon. But it always comes back to this: It takes two to tango.
“We can sit here and say, ‘We’d like to keep Jon,’ but it also depends on Jon and his representawill tives. So if they want to go in a different direction, then so be it.”
Keeping Gray, Schmidt added, would enable the Rockies to maintain a starting rotation that is shaping up to be one of the best in franchise history. He credited former GM Jeff Bridich for that.
“Jeff put together a good rotation, and that’s a tough thing to do here at Coors Field,” said Schmidt, who was promoted from his job as vice president of scouting to interim GM when Bridich resigned in late April.
The Rockies enter Friday night’s game in fourth place in the National League West with a 40-51 record, on pace to finish the season 71-91. They are 31-17 at home but own a terrible 9-34 mark on the road. Just before the all-star break, the Rockies took two of three games at San Diego to win their first road series of the year.
Schmidt said he’s been encouraged by the club’s recent play.
“When I met with (the media) back in June, I said that we were not as bad as everybody was making us out to be,” he said. “I didn’t think we were a championship club, but I also didn’t think we were as bad a people made us out to be.
“I think there are pieces here to make us good. Do we need more? Yeah, we need more. I realize that. But it starts with good pitching and we have that in place.”