Although the Colorado Rockies roster is generally set for the 2024 season after the signings of SP Dakota Hudson and C Jacob Stallings to one-year deals, there is still some room for negotiation on the roster. Specifically, a left-handed swinging outfielder.
Colorado does not figure to be a player for a bigger-name option as expectations are low. Last week, Skyler Timmins already covered some of the depth options remaining on the market that could be a fit for Colorado’s potential vacancy.
While that may be the likely avenue the front office travels if they do indeed make an acquisition, that is not the only option. Timmins freely admitted that he would not expect them to be in on any bigger names still on the market. But...they could if they chose to.
As we get closer to camp breaking, the more desperate players will become to secure a job for the 2024 season. For the Rockies, it presents an opportunity to add a veteran piece that they can flip at the deadline for future assets – assuming they’re out of contention.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three lefty outfielders the Rockies could temporarily swipe-up before the start of the season.
Joc Pederson
Of all the wishful thinking in this article, Joc Pederson may represent the most blasphemous option. The longtime Dodgers lefty has floated around the league since leaving Los Angeles – playing for three teams in the past three seasons.
But after a mediocre 2021 season, Pederson found a second-wind with the San Francisco Giants over the last two years. Appearing in 255 games between the 2022 and 2023 season, Pederson put together 38 HR, an OPS of .821 and 129 wRC+ in the Bay Area.
Almost strictly a platoon option and general defensive liability, Pederson is a very niche player at this point in his career. One that likely will attract the attention of contending teams before Spring Training. But, if he were to fall through the cracks, Colorado would be wise to consider letting him put up some strong numbers at Coors Field before flipping him to a contender in need by August.
Joey Gallo
Another off-season, another discussion about Joey Gallo and his standout power coming to Denver.
A posterboy for the three-true-outcomes profile, Gallo is certainly not the asset he used to be. A multiple-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner during his peak years with the Texas Rangers, Gallo’s career has trended in the wrong direction since leaving the Lone Star State.
But he still has plenty of pop – evident by his 21 HR last year with the Minnesota Twins – and he still draws walks at a premium 14.8% rate. He is also competent defensively with the ability to handle CF if needed.
The Coors career-rebound season has been a tired narrative for some time when it comes to Gallo. But given the state both he and the franchise are at heading into 2024, it may just be worth a shot for both sides at this point.
Eddie Rosario
A hero of the Atlanta Braves 2021 World Series, Eddie Rosario suffered through an injury-riddled 2022 before rebounding to a league-average rate in 2023 with a .755 OPS and even 100 wRC+.
Like Pederson, Rosario has proven his worth with his bat over his career and can still be a potent platoon option with limited defensive upside. More-so, he also has a history of postseason success – a brownie point if he is on a make-good rental contract and on the open market coming deadline.
While these and some other veteran options remain on the market, I agree with Skyler that the Rockies likely won’t be in talks with any pricier veteran options if they do see a need to acquire a LH outfielder. Then again, I wouldn’t have suspected they dance with Jurickson Profar last year and that turned out to happen thanks to some injuries in Spring Training.
Maybe Colorado will lean into the rental market and use a hitter-friend environment to be an attractive proposition for an experienced bat for a few months. Or maybe they roll the dice on a bigger rebound candidate like Austin Meadows or Jesse Winker.
Regardless, if the Rockies do feel the need to add a lefty for the outfield mix, there are certainly a number of options available.
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There’s more than meets the eye with this Rox prospect | mlb.com
Manny Randhawa fills in for Thomas Harding in the weekly Rockies Beat newsletter. Randhawa shines a spotlight on MIF prospect Julio Carreras in the latest addition.
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