Colorado Rockies Keeping Eye On Encarnacion, Trumbo
There may not be much room on the Colorado Rockies roster right now, but they are keeping tabs on Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo.
The Colorado Rockies have already added some power to their lineup for next season, but it looks like they are not done with adding to it. According to a MLB Network Interview, Rockies General Manager Jeff Bridich said that the team is keeping tabs on free-agents Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo. The team added Ian Desmond earlier this month, but the Rockies want more.
Encarnacion, 33, had another terrific season with the Toronto Blue Jays last year. He hit .263/.357/.529 in 702 plate appearances last year. He also added 42 home runs, while driving in 127 runs. Although those high numbers, his OPS of .886 was his lowest mark since the 2011 season. Encarnacion seems to be in the prime of his career at this point, and is looking to make a lot of money on the market.
Trumbo, 30, had a huge bounce back season with the Baltimore Orioles last season. He hit .256/.316/.533 in 667 plate appearances last year. To go along with that, Trumbo added a MLB leading 47 home runs and 108 RBIs. His .850 OPS was the highest for his career. Those numbers, combined with his age, should get Trumbo a huge deal on the free-agent market this winter.
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The Rockies are looking to take advantage of the thin air and add a ton of power to their lineup[p next season. Last year, the Rockies hit 204 home runs in 162 games, putting them at 10th in MLB and 3rd in the National League. They are looking to improve on those numbers, and the addition of Trumbo and/or Encarnacion would definitely boost those numbers. The team added former shortstop and outfielder Ian Desmond during the winter meetings.
Desmond, 31, had a great bounce back season with the Rangers last year, hitting .285/.335/.446, while hitting 22 home runs and driving in 86 RBIs. The move questions the future of center-fielder Charlie Blackmon with the team. It seems that Blackmon is now on the trade market.
The Rockies are trying to do put together a lineup that will score a lot of runs. No big name free-agent pitcher will ever sign with the Rockies because of the thin air, so the Rockies need to focus on grabbing the big name free-agent hitters. Desmond was a good start, but the team needs to get either or both Trumbo and Encarnacion to make their lineup more potent.
If the Rockies want to be able to compete for the division with the Dodgers and the Giants next season, it is time that they make a gigantic move. The Colorado Rockies are a team to watch the rest of the off-season, as they look to improve their lineup.
