DENVER -- Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said there was no inspirational message to be derived from his decision to not make any trades before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, but it's OK if players see one.
On Tuesday, the Rockies entered a six-game stretch against the Dodgers and Marlins -- the teams that hold the National League Wild Card spots -- just 4 1/2 games off the pace.
Modern convention gravitates toward putting teams in one of two boxes -- buyers or sellers. The Rockies, with veterans who could have been sold and plenty of prospect currency, instead were one of three teams (the contending Tigers and non-contending Phillies the others) who didn't make a move.
"It's our job to understand what's going on," Bridich said, referring to the trade landscape. "If there was a message sent, great. But I'm not the right person to ask that. I think it's consistent in the fact that we believe in this group.
"It's consistent with the fact that whatever the situation you have at the Trade Deadline, part of the job is to effectively understand your organization and not just everybody else's organization and their hopes and desires for the Trade Deadline, but effectively understanding what we already have here."
Some clubhouse takeaways:
• All-Star outfielder Carlos González, assumed by many as a candidate to be sent to a team that needed such a talent, saw it as a vote of confidence, but also a challenge.
"Playing meaningful games right now and not seeing guys leave the club is always nice; I feel we have enough players in this room to reach our goals," Gonzalez said. "Why not? But we're close to where we want to be, but we're not there yet. Being around .500 is not good enough."
• To catcher Nick Hundley, the assumption two weeks ago that the Rockies were there to provide lifts to other teams reminded him of his 2010 Padres -- a lightly regarded team that wasn't eliminated until losing to the Giants in the season's final game.
"We had guys in that clubhouse like David Eckstein and Chris Young who believed in themselves and the team internally, and that goes a lot farther than outside motivation and people picking you to win," Hundley said.
• To center fielder Charlie Blackmon, whose name appeared in rumors, it didn't mean much.
"I don't read too much into that," Blackmon said. "I don't know what's going on in the minds of front offices around the league or our front office. I know they have confidence in us. That's why we're here. I'm just going to keep playing baseball."
Bridich said the Rockies decided early in the process that they would not trade Gonzalez, who is back next season at $20 million to complete his contract, or Blackmon, who is making $3.5 million this year and is under club control through 2018. The Rockies received multiple calls on lefty reliever Boone Logan when teams assumed the club to be sellers, but the Rockies decided they needed him more than others did.
Bridich confirmed a sentiment that arose from other clubs just before the Deadline that the Rockies explored being buyers. But a rich farm system, from which outfielder David Dahl emerged to provide a lift over the last week, was too valuable to the club's aspirations, now and in the near future, to expend in trades.
The club learned Monday before the Deadline that star rookie shortstop Trevor Story had a torn ligament in his left thumb, and with surgery is likely to miss the rest of the regular season, but Bridich said there weren't many opportunities to acquire a shortstop.
Deals can still be made. Players can be traded once they clear waivers, and they must be in a team's organization by Sept. 1 to be eligible for the postseason. But it appears the Rockies are going largely with the current club, which has a chance to be a contender earlier than experts expected.
"I don't see why not," Bridich said. "As long as we maintain our health -- its funny to say that with Trevor going down -- and continue clicking and playing good, team baseball like we have the last couple of weeks, why not?"