3 Rockies trade candidates Billy Eppler should keep an eye on this year
The Colorado Rockies won 68 games last season and did virtually nothing to improve on that. The health of Kris Bryant should help, but the Rockies will likely finish in last place in the NL West in 2023. As a last place team, they should be a club the New York Mets look at as a potential trade partner at the 2023 trade deadline.
The Rockies might finish with a poor record, but they still have some decent players. Three of them in particular would fit very nicely on this Mets roster.
1) NY Mets Rockies trade target: Randal Grichuk
The Mets have two players who can get the DH at-bats against left-handed pitching. First, there's Darin Ruf. We have no idea if Ruf will even make the roster after his horrific 2022 showing with the Mets. If he does, he will have a very short leash. If Ruf doesn't perform, there's no way he lasts the entire season.
Tommy Pham was brought in as a potential DH option and can also be the fourth outfielder for the Mets. He had solid numbers against left-handed pitching, but wasn't quite as good as Randal Grichuk was. If the Mets really want a guy to put them over the top against southpaws, this is it.
Grichuk slashed .308/.333/.593 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI against southpaws in just 172 at-bats this past season. Sure, you can say Coors Field all you want, but he has an .802 OPS against southpaws in his career. He's a guy you can comfortably plug into all three outfield spots and he's just a better player at this point than Pham.
If Ruf is off the team and Pham is struggling, this is a spot that will need an upgrade. Grichuk can provide that.
2) NY Mets Rockies trade target: Daniel Bard
Daniel Bard was signed by the Mets and made one appearance in the minors before being granted free agency that offseason. He's a guy who always had great stuff but dealt with numerous injuries. He finally got to Colorado in the shortened 2020 season and found a home.
Bard had his best year yet, posting a 1.79 ERA and recording 34 saves in 37 opportunities. He's a rare example of a pitcher who's found success pitching in Colorado and is someone the Mets should be interested in.
The Mets might not have a gaping hole in the bullpen now after the moves they've made, but you can never have enough pitching. Relievers can fizzle out at any moment, and they should be trying to get as many proven arms as they can.
Bard and his power stuff would play extremely well in this bullpen setting up for Edwin Diaz alongside the likes of Adam Ottavino, Brooks Raley, and David Robertson.
Bard did just sign an extension last season which covers the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but he should still be available if the Rockies are out of contention. I never know what the Rockies are doing, but trading Bard when his value is high would be the smart thing. If he's available, the Mets should keep their eye on him.
3) NY Mets Rockies trade target: C.J. Cron
C.J. Cron was a player many Mets fans were clamoring for before they traded for Darin Ruf. Cron has turned his career around playing in Colorado as many players do, but he's had good OPS+ numbers to back it up. He had a 126 OPS+ in 2021 and had a 134 WRC+ in the first half before a massive second half slump brought that number down to 101.
Cron's fit isn't perfect because he's restricted to only first base defensively like Vogelbach (and Ruf if we're honest), and he didn't have a great year against left-handed pitching in 2022. Cron had a .695 OPS against southpaws last season, but has an .818 OPS against them in his career.
If acquired, the Mets could play Cron at DH full-time and ship Vogelbach off for a reliever or random prospect. Restricting yourself to a DH platoon where both options are so limited defensively makes very little sense. The fact that Cron can hit against righties and lefties means he can just take that spot mostly every day and be a bench bat when other players need to DH.
I don't love the fit, but the talent is hard to deny. Even playing in Coors Field Cron has always been a big power bat and power is something the Mets need. He's been linked to them before, I'm sure his name will come up if and when power is an issue.