For the first time since 2010, the Colorado Rockies are clear buyers at the trade deadline and looking to bolster their starting rotation.
According to a report, Colorado has “reached out” to the Baltimore Orioles about pitchers Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy.
Sources: Rockies, with a strong farm system, are poking around the SP market. Reached out to Baltimore about Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 18, 2017
The Rockies’ pitching staff leaves much to be desired. Colorado starters rank 17th in ERA at 4.68. While not great, that in and of itself is not terrible given how hitter friendly Coors Field is. Unfortunately for the Rockies, that only figures to get worse as we get deeper into the traditional “dog days.”
Bundy is having a decent year in Baltimore. In 18 starts, he’s pitched to a 4.33 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP to go with 84 strikeouts in 108 innings.
Gausman would be far more of a gamble for a contending team. In 20 starts, he’s thrown an even 100 innings with 88 strikeouts and a gaudy 6.39 ERA. Gausman, however, does have a few things working in his favor.
One is a more established track record. A season ago, Gausman posted a solid 3.61 ERA and 1.28 WHIP while striking out 174 batters in 179.2 innings. Additionally, he’s from the nearby suburb of Centennial, Colorado. Normally, a pitcher going to Coors Field would face a rough adjustment period, even if that pitcher is going to Colorado from a hitter’s yard like Camden Yards. Coors Field is just a different animal. But that’s at least somewhat negated when the pitcher in question is used to throwing at altitude.
Entering play on Tuesday, the Rockies sit comfortably in playoff position. They are 11 behind the red hot Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. Even then, Colorado has a 5.5-game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the second Wild Card spot and is only one-half game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the top spot.