Rockies should be sellers at the MLB trade deadline — here’s what they can lure in trade | The Athletic ($)

It’s simple, really. As Nick Groke reminds you in this piece, the Colorado Rockies have won exactly three games in July. It’s July 25. That’s the kind of stretch that dooms a season, and it certainly means the Rockies won’t be buyers.

You might be thinking that the Rockies at least got lucky that their collapse happened before the trade deadline. They can sell off some pieces and stock up for the future, right? It might not be that simple.

Groke takes a look at five players the Rockies could trade as sellers to retool while not necessarily tearing things down and rebuilding. Some names are players we have discussed here as making sense, guys like Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee. Raimel Tapia and Daniel Murphy are mentioned as position players where the Rockies could get creative.

And then there’s Wade Davis. Groke points out a wide gap between his home and road results, suggesting that his 0.73 ERA on the road might suggest this a Coors problem. It would be a cool trick if the Rockies could convince a team that’s true and get something for him and that disaster of a contract, but presumably any team that has actually watched him will counter with a simple question: what does the altitude have to do with him walking everybody?

Predicting the 2019 Trade Deadline | FanGraphs

This rundown of what teams might do is probably closer to what will happen for Jeff Bridich and the Rockies. That is to say, not much of anything. Craig Edwards mentions Carlos Estevez and Scott Oberg as relievers teams will want. It’s easy to think the Rockies might keep those guys, with Shaw and McGee probably the likeliest guys to move.

The larger point is that the Rockies probably still think they’re in their contention window and that this season is just a painful speed bump along the way. That’s reasonable with the core of players the Rockies have, so let’s just hope there’s a path to fixing this pitching staff quickly.

Gray (calf) exits early; Rox flat in G1 loss | MLB.com

As if things haven’t been rough enough for the Rockies lately, Gray left his start in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader in the fourth inning due to a calf injury. His calf tightened up over the afternoon after he was hit by a comeback line drive.

Thomas Harding reports that Gray expects to be ready for his next start. This apparently follows a rough start for Gray that was due to a stomach bug. Gray is mentioned on occasion as a trade target for other teams. I would like to think that’s not going to happen, and if Gray isn’t pitching in a playoff race the rest of the way that he will be continuing to build on a solid season to be ready to lead an improved rotation next season.

On the farm

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 10, Salt Lake Bees 6

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 3, Portland Sea Dogs 2

High-A: Lancaster JetHawks 4, Lake Elsinore Storm 3

Low-A: Greensboro Grasshoppers 3, Asheville Tourists 2

Short Season-A: Eugene Emeralds 8, Boise Hawks 3

Rookie: Ogden Raptors 3, Grand Junction Rockies 1

DSL 1: DSL Tigers2 9, DSL Colorado 4