Rockies taking big-picture approach as Trade Deadline nears

DENVER – The Rockies’ two goals don’t always coincide.

There has been measurable improvement under a new front office and in Warren Schaeffer’s first year as full-time manager. But Monday night’s 7-3 loss to the Nationals at Coors Field served as a reminder that it’ll take time for the team to reach its true aspiration.

The current 40-62 record, with the team on a 4-9 skid, is a long way from that.

“UItimately, we want to be beyond where we are now, so we have to consider things that accelerate or broaden our path to 90 wins, so we have to evaluate these things,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said. “But unless we feel there’s a compelling way for us to do that in a transaction, then it really doesn’t make sense for us to do it.

“We don’t have to do things for financial reasons. We’re in a really good spot. We’re going to do things that just make baseball sense.”

The opportunity exists for the club to hold steady, take small steps or take huge steps between now and the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. It could take some time to figure out what kind of steps were made with Monday’s trade – acquiring righty reliever Nick Frasso and outfield prospect Landyn Vidourek from the Dodgers for righty reliever Seth Halvorsen.

The 27-year-old Frasso, who has not appeared in the Majors but has shown top-level form with Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City, will pitch at Triple-A Albuquerque before most certainly receiving a shot in the big leagues this year, and a chance to nail down a job beyond. Vidourek is a third-round pick from last year with raw tools and an opportunity to be developed.

It’s the type of deal that so-called “sellers” do, at the Trade Deadline or at other times of the year. They swap someone who can help now – and Halvorsen’s 100-plus mph fastball should be an asset for the Dodgers – for help in the near and immediate futures.

The future has to be the thought, since there isn’t a chance the Rockies are going to go 50-10 to reach the magic 90-win mark in 2026.

Still, what’s happening now matters.

An offense that has been strikeout-prone in recent years makes much more contact. The Rockies are at or near the top of the Majors in several production categories.

“They’re [offensive players] doing a good job of putting runs on the board, but the big thing is pitching,” said lefty Kyle Freeland, who yielded four runs in six workmanlike innings on Monday. “It’s been the trend the whole season. We’re not throwing the ball especially well. We’re making our offense fight and claw at the end of games to come back.”

Freeland gave up a three-run Andrés Chaparro homer three batters into the game, and then, as Schaeffer said, “pitched angry” to get through six innings.

The anger at least seemed to show in the fifth, when Chaparro flied out but crossed the mound on the way to his dugout. But Freeland disputed the video, saying, “After he ran across the mound, I asked, 'Hi. How you doing? How's the family?' You know, good stuff."

Whether scoring late runs, or even dashing out to back their pitcher, the good of what’s happening now could be part of what leads to 90 wins in a future season. But, with players who could be assets to other clubs, DePodesta must balance disturbing a needed influx of attitude to either bring in talent or give prospects opportunity.

“Any part of that is the environment, the culture, the momentum we’ve created,” DePodesta said. “Like, if you told me that [pitcher and No. 16 prospect] Gabriel Hughes could start 12 more games from here to the end of the season and look really good, but it’s going to cost you two wins, I’ll take that – in some kind of crazy fashion why that would cost you two games.

“Part of the development is winning, and I do think we’re starting to figure it out. Our position players in particular, they’re playing 27 outs and we’ve seen that the last three or four weeks. Hopefully, we can do a few more things just to push this over the edge and get a few more wins.”

But pushing the total up to 90 in a future year could mean trading guys who can help win now.

Speculation centers on two-time All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman. Potential trade scenarios involve buyer teams sending the Rockies extreme packages of Major Leaguers, Major League-ready players and prospects. Indications in the industry said it would take something like that for the Rockies to part with Goodman – a rare, proven power-hitting catcher.

But calls continue to come about relievers of all experience levels. Outfielders in prime years, such as Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak, or younger outfielders, have the Rockies negotiating from a position of strength. Every position player and all but a few pitchers are under club control for next season.

“When you’re in our spot in the standings and you have players that are attractive to other teams, especially ones that you control going forward beyond just this season, there’s going to be a lot of interest,” DePodesta said.