During the offseason, fans frequently ask me why:

1. The Rockies don’t sign expensive, high-profile, free-agent starting pitchers.

2. The Rockies don’t trade for high-quality, veteran starters.

I have a pretty stock answer for both questions. First of all, quality free-agents simply don’t want to pitch in Denver’s thin air, and I can’t blame them. Second, the Rockies are convinced that raising their own pitchers, or in the case of right-hander German Marquez, acquiring them as young prospects, is the best course of action.

But as the July 31 trade deadline fast approaches, the Rockies need to deviate from their standard blueprint; they need to color outside the lines. Because if the Rockies are serious about making the playoffs for a third consecutive year, they need to add a starting pitcher — even if Kyle Freeland returns to his 2018 form. Moreover, if they want to win their first postseason series since 2007, acquiring a veteran starter is imperative.

Consider this: The entire staff’s ERA prior to the all-star break was 5.16, the highest pre-break ERA since a 98-loss season in 2012. Entering the weekend, the starters’ ERA was 5.57, easily the worst in the National League. The Rockies’ bullpen is close to being toast right now, and if the starting pitching doesn’t improve soon, the relievers will be toasted to a crisp.

Having said that, I understand that a beat writer calling for a trade is light years easier than a general manager actually pulling one off. The competition is fierce and the asking price is high, especially this July. The powerhouse Yankees, for instance, have been connected to most of the top trade candidates on the market, including Madison Bumgarner, Trevor Bauer, Zack Wheeler and Marcus Stroman.

But the Rockies have to a least make a legitimate pitch. They owe that much to their fans, who have turned out in droves. The Rockies are averaging 36,829 fans a game at Coors Field, the sixth-best home attendance in the majors.

We know the Rockies aren’t going to catch the Dodgers in the National League West, but could you imagine the Rockies acquiring Bumgarner from the Giants and having him in their rotation during the postseason? I think that move would certainly turn some heads in Los Angeles.

Realistically, I can’t see “Mad Bum” ending up in Colorado, but Stroman would be a very good fit here. Manager Bud Black likes his ability to pitch and wiggle out of jams. Plus, Stroman’s fastball-cutter-curve combination could generate groundballs at Coors Field. Finally, while Bumgarner would be a two-month rental, Stroman would be under team control next season. Related Articles Rockies’ Daniel Bard finishing up improbable season on a high note

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Any Rockies moves, of course, will depend on general manager Jeff Bridich‘s view from third floor at Coors Field. He’s going to have to ask himself if the Rockies (44-45 entering the weekend) are truly playoff contenders. The current six-game homestand could answer that question.

If the answer is yes, then Bridich is going to have to field offers and answer tough questions. Would he be willing to trade a top prospect such as shortstop/second baseman Brendan Rodgers if that’s part of the asking price? What about talented young prospects such as infielder Colton Welker or first basemen Grant Lavigne or the versatile Tyler Nevin? That would be a nail-biting decision for a Rockies front office committed to grassroots team building.

Bridich said during spring training that the 2019 Rockies had World Series aspirations, but the current starting pitching won’t get this team close to Rocktober. A bold, risky move is needed.