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Desmond deal sparks Blackmon trade rumors By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | December 7th, 2016 NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The Rockies' reported deal with Ian Desmond -- the Rangers' center fielder last season --

raised a question: What are the Rockies planning to do with their center fielder, Charlie Blackmon?

Desmond, who agreed to a reported five-year, $70 million contract, is said to be switching to first base with the Rockies,

but he represented the Rangers in last year's All-Star Game in center field, and he was an All-Star shortstop in 2012

during his seven seasons with the Nationals (2009-15). Desmond has been streaky throughout his career, but his .743

career OPS is solid for the positions he played.

But those numbers are not what's typically expected from a first baseman, so it stands to reason that the Rockies would

want to move Desmond to center. And with Blackmon coming off his best season, hitting .324 with a .381 on-base

percentage and career-bests in home runs (29) and RBIs (82), teams have been approaching the Rockies.

"My feelings haven't changed about Charlie Blackmon one bit," said Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich, who answered

a question about Blackmon on Wednesday but did not address Desmond, whose signing is pending a physical. "He's a

very popular player for good reason. There have been questions about him. There have been increased questions about

him since the rumors came out this afternoon.

MEDIA CLIPS – December 8, 2016

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"It's no surprise because of the type of player and person that he is. Certainly, we have not had any intention of trading

this player for all those good reasons. As I've said before, we're just going to keep our ears open and eyes open. That's

just part of the business."

Reports Wednesday were that the Rockies offered Blackmon to the Blue Jays for pitcher Marcus Stroman. But multiple

Major League sources cited that a deal was unlikely because Toronto is reluctant to part with pitching depth at a time

when it is a prime American League contender.

Media speculation is that Blackmon could be a fit with the Cardinals, who have first baseman Matt Adams -- with 81

homers in 455 games since 2012 -- and relief pitching to offer in return. The Rockies also want to improve a bullpen that

faltered for a team that was in postseason contention through August.

MLB Trade Rumors projects that Blackmon will earn $9 million in 2017 through arbitration. Clearing that potential salary

could keep the Rockies in play for some of the bigger-ticket free agents, and speculation has it that they continue to

pursue first baseman Mark Trumbo -- who could end up with a deal similar to Desmond's.

Pitching carousel

The Rockies have long been connected to lefty reliever Mike Dunn, who struck out 21.6 percent of batters he faced in

2016 and has fanned batters at a rate of 25.6 percent for his career. Dunn has pitched for the Yankees and Marlins and

was the eighth-inning setup man for former Miami manager Mike Redmond, who was recently hired as Rockies bench

coach under new manager Bud Black.

"We've looked at just about every free-agent reliever, and with him being in the National League, we've seen him a

number of times and there's some level of familiarity there," Bridich said. "And he's still available. He's somebody, to a

certain degree, we're paying attention to."

The Rockies also have checked into Brad Ziegler, who has three of the top 10 ground-ball rates since the stat began to

be fully tracked in 2002. While Ziegler broke in with the Athletics from 2008-11 and finished last season with the Red Sox,

he has spent much of his career in the NL West with the D-backs.

Ziegler may have increased his free-agent attractiveness by striking out 25 percent of the batters he faced with the Red

Sox -- well above his 16 percent career average. Last season, Ziegler increased the use of his curveball to 21.9 percent.

He had used it 13.6 percent previously.

Ziegler is 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA and two saves in 20 career games at Coors Field.

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"He's certainly a good pitcher, and with how many times we've seen him and faced him, we feel like we know him real

well," Bridich said of the sidearmer. "The way he operates, the unconventional can really work for him, and it doesn't

matter where he pitches. I understand why his name keeps popping up."

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Desmond at 1st could work for Rockies Versatile player has successfully changed positions before By Tracy Ringolsby / MLB.com | @TracyRingolsby | December 7th, 2016

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The Rockies have agreed to terms with Ian Desmond.

Message delivered. The Rockies are not looking at the future. The focus is on here and now.

If the decision to hire Bud Black, with a big league managerial resume, wasn't statement enough, the fact that the Rockies

agreed to sign free agent Desmond to a what is reportedly a five-year, $70 million deal, pending a physical, on

Wednesday should provide the exclamation point.

It's the second-biggest free-agent contract in franchise history -- the biggest ever given a position player. Left-hander Mike

Hampton was given an eight-year, $121 million deal before the 2001 season.

Most importantly, though, it's a five-year deal that fills an immediate need -- the vacancy at first base -- while also

providing long-term flexibility.

First base? Yes. OK, so Desmond has never played first in his professional career. But he is athletic, and as he showed

last year with the Rangers, he is versatile.

After playing shortstop for the bulk of his seven seasons with the Nationals, Desmond made a seamless transition to the

outfield with the Rangers last year; after opening the season in left field, he became so entrenched in center that

when Delino DeShields returned from a Minor League refresher course, Desmond remained in center field for the

eventual American League West champions.

Yes, Desmond had been an All-Star shortstop in Washington. But after entering the free-agent market, the Rangers were

interested in him, so Desmond didn't just agree to move to the outfield, he embraced the move and adapted so well that

he wound up earning a spot on the AL All-Star team.

The Rockies have every reason to believe Desmond will be every bit as committed and successful to the move to first

base.

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Will Desmond spend all five years there? Maybe. Maybe not. Ryan McMahon, Colorado's No. 6 prospect according

to MLBPipeline.com, was drafted as a third baseman, and he has played there primarily, but he began getting action at

first base last year to create an option for him in light of Nolan Arenado's presence at third base in the big leagues.

Desmond provides middle-infield insurance in case of an injury, like a year ago, when rookie shortstop Trevor Story, a

viable Rookie of the Year Award candidate at midseason, missed the final two months of the season with due to left

thumb surgery. He also is protection for a year from now, when Carlos Gonzalez is set to become a free agent, as he

could provide a veteran presence in the outfield.

Desmond has enjoyed the 23 games he has played in his career at Coors Field, hitting .379 with an OPS of 1.016 and a

slugging percentage of .611, the highest of his career in an NL park.

Just as important, the Rockies are confident that in a year or two or three, if they feel they have someone else who can

play first but are in need of someone to fill a void in the outfield or somewhere else in the infield, Desmond can answer the

call.

Even though Desmond didn't join the Rangers until exhibition games were scheduled to begin, and even though he was

being asked to play a new position, it was a matter of days, not months or weeks, before he became a clubhouse factor,

helping provide a winning focus.

That is something the Rockies franchise hasn't really had from an everyday player.

Colorado didn't need it in the early years because original manager Don Baylor was such a strong clubhouse presence.

When the Rockies made their run to the World Series in 2007, it was again the manager, Clint Hurdle, who had the

personality to handle the role and the organizational history, having worked his way up from the Minor League hitting

coach to the big league hitting coach to manager.

They don't need it now, either, not with Desmond ready to join the team.

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Saunders: Sorting through the rumors after the Rockies landed Ian Desmond It’s not often the Rockies make the rumor mill spin at 5,000 RPMs By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | December 7th, 2016

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich sat in his hotel room here Wednesday evening as the

baseball world swirled in the lobby nine floors below.

It’s not often the Rockies make the rumor mill spin at 5,000 RPMs, but that’s exactly what they did at the winter meetings.

First came surprising news that they had agreed to terms with shortstop-turned-outfielder Ian Desmond for five years and

$70 million.

Then came the flood of rumors.

The theory is that Desmond, who was brought in to fill the hole at first base, was just the first domino to fall and that other

moves were sure to follow. For instance, there were multiple reports that the Rockies were deep into talks with St. Louis

about a trade for center fielder Charlie Blackmon in exchange for pitching and perhaps first baseman Matt Adams. The

Rockies, however, are asking a lot in return for Blackmon, who’s coming off a career year when he hit .324 with 29

homers and a .381 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot.

The second part of the theory is if the Rockies trade Blackmon (or Carlos Gonzalez), the Rockies might move Desmond to

the outfield, where he played last season for Texas. Fox Sports’ national baseball writer Ken Rosenthal, a man with his

finger on the big-league pulse at these meetings, even tweeted that the Rockies might not be done with their pursuit of

free-agent slugger Mark Trumbo as their first baseman.

The problem with all of the rumors is that I’ve been told by reliable sources that the Rockies are intent on making

Desmond their first baseman. They like his athleticism and think he can thrive at Coors Field.

Despite the breaking news and chatter throughout the winter meetings, Bridich would not confirm the Desmond deal, but I

have no doubt it will become official relatively soon.

When Bridich was asked if the wheels were now in motion for more moves, he replied: “Our goals are still the same, we

came here to the winter meeting with priorities for first base and the bullpen, and those priorities are still the same —

which means we are still very active.

“It’s tough to gauge what will happen over the next day and what this situation will lead to once the meetings are done.”

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Asked specifically about the rumors about Blackmon, he replied: “My feelings haven’t changed about Charlie Blackmon

one bit. He’s a very popular player for good reason. There have been (trade) questions about him. There have been

increased questions about him since the (Desmond) rumors came out this afternoon. It’s no surprise because of the type

of player and person that he is.”

Then Bridich said something that made me think that Rockies would be open to moving Blackmon — for the right price —

as they did with Troy Tulowitzki in late July 2015.

“Certainly, we have not had any intention of trading this player (Blackmon) for all those good reasons,” he said, then

paused before adding, “As I’ve said before, we’re just going to keep our ears open and eyes open. That’s just part of the

business.”

My bottom line: I think Desmond will be Colorado’s primary first baseman in 2017, and I would not be shocked to see

Blackmon traded if the Rockies get quality pitching in return.

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MLB rumors: Rockies interested in Mike Dunn, Brad Ziegler Colorado has checked in on a couple of relievers amid the winter meetings craziness By Bryan Kilpatrick / Purple Row | @purplerowBK | December 8th, 2016

Mark Melancon is off the board and there was no way Aroldis Chapman or Kenley Jansen were going to be realistic

options, but there are still some free-agent relievers available who could fit into the Colorado Rockies’ bullpen.

The club has checked in on at least two of those options, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. Rockies general

manager Jeff Bridich talked to Harding about the team’s interest in left-hander Mike Dunn ...

"We've looked at just about every free-agent reliever, and with [Dunn] being in the National League, we've seen him a

number of times and there's some level of familiarity there," Bridich said. "And he's still available. He's somebody, to a

certain degree, we're paying attention to."

... and righty Brad Ziegler:

"He's certainly a good pitcher, and with how many times we've seen him and faced him, we feel like we know him real

well," Bridich said of the sidearmer. "The way he operates, the unconventional can really work for him, and it doesn't

matter where he pitches. I understand why his name keeps popping up."

Dunn, 31, posted a 3.40 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and a career-low 2.3 BB/9 last season for the Miami Marlins. The ninth-year big

leaguer owns a 3.54 career ERA with 10 K/9. Dunn is an extreme flyball pitcher — he boasts a groundball rate of just 35.7

percent for his career — but homers have rarely been an issue. That, of course, could change with him pitching half of his

games at Coors Field.

Ziegler, 37, finished last season with a 2.25 ERA in 68 combined innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red

Sox. He experienced a particularly strong resurgence in Boston, where he struck out more than a batter per inning.

Ziegler spent parts of the previous five seasons with the D-backs and pitched in a fair share of games at Coors Field,

where he owns a lifetime 4.15 ERA with 11 strikeouts and four walks in 171⁄3 innings.

Colorado still has a couple of roster spots to work with; even after Ian Desmond is officially added, the Rockies’ 40-man

roster will sit at 38 players.

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MLB rumors: Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays have discussed Charlie Blackmon-for-Marcus Stroman trade With Ian Desmond in the fold, the Rockies are looking to make room for him in their outfield. By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | December 7th, 2016

The Colorado Rockcies have discussed a trade that would send center fielder Charlie Blackmon to the Blue Jays for

pitcher Marcus Stroman, according to FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi:

Jon Morosi #Rockies have interest in #BlueJays starter Marcus Stroman, but Toronto isn’t willing to trade him for Charlie Blackmon, straight up. @MLB 2:54 PM - 7 Dec 2016

Stroman, a 25-year-old right-hander, pitched his first full season in the big leagues in 2016 after tearing his ACL and

missing most of the 2015 season.

He had a 4.37 ERA and 3.71 FIP in 2016, pitching 204 innings with a 1.29 WHIP, 54 walks and 166 strikeouts. Also

appealing to the Rockies is his 60.1% ground ball rate, which would play well at Coors Field. Stroman was a first-round

draft pick in 2012 and was a top-100 prospect entering 2014, the season in which he made his big league debut.

With today’s signing of Ian Desmond makes a crowded outfield for the Rockies, but also gives them an opportunity to

cash in one of those outfielders to improve their pitching staff, though they may have to add another prospect with

Blackmon to acquire Stroman.

It always seemed that there was more to come when the Rockies signed Desmond this morning, and this may be the next

domino to fall. Stick with Purple Row for updates as the situation develops.

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What does the Ian Desmond signing mean for the Colorado Rockies? By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | December 7th, 2016 If you’re a Rockies fan living in Colorado, you woke to snow on the ground and what will likely be the team’s new first

basemen for the next six years.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal broke the news this morning that the Rockies and free agent Ian Desmond had agreed to a

multi-year contract, with reporters Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman later confirming that the deal is for five years and $70

million dollars.

There’s a sixth year club option, which would boost the value of the contract to six year’s at $83 million dollars if the option

were to be exercised.

Reports are that the Rockies will attempt to move Desmond over to first, a position the shortstop/outfielder has never

played.

So, what exactly are the Rockies doing?

Many had suggested moving Carlos Gonzalez to first base, which would clear space in a crowded outfield and fill the

need at first, but this Desmond signing seems to have taken that off the table.

Still, Colorado currently has five outfielders worthy of everyday playing time.

The idea of trading Charlie Blackmon has been thrown out there, but reports are that it is unlikely at this time.

Gerardo Parra is another guy the Rockies could look to get off, but he’s still under contract through 2019, with $30 million

dollars owed, and is coming off a down year, which means that his market is likely very limited.

Oh, and don’t expect to see the Rockies move David Dahl anytime soon.

Bottom line is that the Rockies are in a serious logjam, a logjam that just got bigger by choice.

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Jeff Bridich isn’t ignorant to this. He obviously believes that Desmond’s athleticism and knowledge of the game is strong

enough to play first base at the Major League level; he wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on the deal if he thought

otherwise.

At the end of the day, the Rockies ended up with yet another solid bat to add to their already stacked lineup.

In the 23 games Desmond has played at Coors Field during his career, he has hit .379 with three home runs and 18 RBIs.

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Colorado Rockies Lose Josh Rutledge Through Rule 5 Draft By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | December 8th, 2016

One of the things that can happen during the annual Rule 5 draft during baseball’s winter meetings is that a team can lose

players that it hasn’t protected. That’s exactly what happened to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday morning.

Two weeks after signing Josh Rutledge to a minor league deal, the Rockies lost him through the Rule 5 draft when he

was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the major league phase of the draft. For a rundown of the rules of the sometimes

confusing Rule 5 draft, click here to check out our comprehensive overview.

As expected, the Rockies passed on their selection in the Rule 5 draft but then lost Rutledge 15 picks later when he was

picked by the Red Sox.

Ironically, Rutledge goes from the team where he started his career (Colorado) to the last team he played for before a

knee injury cut his 2016 season short (Boston).

In November, rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A with the Red Sox, Rutledge elected to pursue free agency.

That set up his short-lived reunion with the Rockies.

Rutledge was expected to give the Rockies depth in the infield but now it looks like that’s exactly why they lost him to the

Red Sox. With Boston looking for infield depth with Major League experience, Rutledge was a familiar target.

Colorado had protected five pitchers (Yency Almonte, Shane Carle, Rayan Gonzalez, Zach Jemiola and Sam Moll)

from possible Rule 5 draft poaching by adding them to the 40-man roster in November.

With the movement of those five pitchers to the 40-man roster, Colorado entered the winter meetings with 37 of the 40

spots filled. One of those spots will be filled by Ian Desmond, who the Rockies signed to a five-year, $70 million contract

on Wednesday.

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Colorado Rockies Get Incomplete Grade for Winter Meetings By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | December 8th, 2016

Baseball’s winter meetings have officially concluded and the dust is beginning to settle from a dizzying amount of

signings, trades and rumors. So how did the Colorado Rockies fare during the biggest event of the offseason?

Colorado made one notable splash during the week, signing Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70 million deal. It was a move

that few saw coming and seemed to cause more questions than answers.

Reportedly, the Rockies are planning to use Desmond as a first baseman, a position he’s never played in his Major

League career. It’s an interesting thought and one that had many people scratching their heads … not only because

Desmond isn’t a first baseman but also because the Rockies surrendered their 11th overall pick in next year’s draft to sign

him.

With so much of Desmond’s time spent in the outfield last season with the Texas Rangers, his signing immediately started

rumors swirling about the Rockies making a trade with one of their other outfielders. Charlie Blackmon and Carlos

Gonzalez have been in the middle of trade rumors for months now and that certainly won’t let up with Desmond now a

part of the Colorado roster.

Blackmon’s name appeared in a couple of notable trade rumors on Wednesday. First, it was said that the St. Louis

Cardinals were very interested in acquiring him to fill the need they have in center field. Later in the day, rumors started

flying about Blackmon heading to Toronto in a deal that could send starting pitcher Marcus Stroman to the Rockies.

Adding fuel to the Blackmon trade rumor fire were the reports that the Rockies were still very interested in acquiring a

slugging first baseman like Mark Trumbo, Edwin Encarnacion, Chris Carter or Jose Abreu. This despite just signing

Desmond to a big contract and saying he will be playing first for the Rockies.

While Desmond was the only name to join Colorado’s 40-man roster during the winter meetings, he certainly won’t be the

last. The Rockies are still looking for pitching help and didn’t address their needs in the bullpen during the winter

meetings. Rumors have the Rockies interested in Brad Ziegler and Mike Dunn but nothing concrete has happened yet.

In Thursday’s Rule 5 draft, the Rockies lost Josh Rutledge, who had just been signed days ago to a minor league deal,

to the Boston Red Sox.

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While the Rockies lost Rutledge, they did sign catcher Anthony Bemboom from the Angels in the Triple-A phase of the

Rule 5 draft.

Overall, the Rockies get an incomplete on their grade from the winter meetings. Why? Think of all of the things we don’t

know at the moment…

Will Desmond really play first base?

If he does, how well will he learn the position and play it?

Is the only first baseman the Rockies will sign?

If he isn’t, will he move to the outfield?

If he moves to the outfield, does that mean a current Colorado outfielder is on the trading block before the 2017

campaign?

There are still a lot of possibilities for the Rockies now that the winter meetings have ended. While Desmond was the

biggest name Colorado signed, expect there to be more movement before spring training arrives.

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Rockies Looking To Acquire Pitching By Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors | December 8, 2016 at 1:34am CDT

With Ian Desmond now in Colorado and free agent slugger Mark Trumbo a candidate to join him, the Rockies may soon

have a surplus of quality position players. Center fielder Charlie Blackmon’s name was already in the rumor mill before

the Rockies agreed to a five-year, $70MM deal with Desmond on Wednesday, so the odds of the team moving him have

perhaps increased since. General manager Jeff Bridich responded to that Wednesday, telling reporters – including Patrick

Saunders of the Denver Post – that the Rockies “have not had any intention of trading” Blackmon. At the same time, he

didn’t rule it out.

“As I’ve said before, we’re just going to keep our ears open and eyes open,” said Bridich. “That’s just part of the

business.”

If the Rockies do deal Blackmon, odds are they’ll try to acquire starting pitching in return – especially if they sign Trumbo.

Picking him up would likely push Desmond from first base to an outfield that, in addition to Blackmon, currently

includes Carlos Gonzalez, David Dahl and Gerardo Parra. But Colorado fully intends to play Desmond at first, sources

told Saunders, which could certainly affect both Trumbo and Blackmon. Regardless, the Rockies are indeed searching for

a high-end starter, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), and acquiring a major rotation piece would have to

come via trade thanks to the weakness of this year’s free agent class. One front-line starter in whom the Rockies have

interest is Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman, but the Blue Jays are unwilling to deal him for Blackmon, reports Jon

Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link).

Although the Blue Jays are in need of help in the outfield, something Blackmon would certainly provide, their reluctance to

part with Stroman isn’t particularly surprising. After all, Stroman exceeded the 200-inning barrier and posted a 60.1

percent ground-ball rate in 2016, and ERA estimators like FIP (3.71), xFIP (3.41) and SIERA (3.62) indicated that he

deserved better than his 4.37 ERA. Moreover, the 25-year-old Stroman is far younger than Blackmon, 30, and is under

team control for longer. Stroman is set to make his first of four possible trips through arbitration this offseason,

and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $3.5MM award. Blackmon, meanwhile, is two years from free agency and

will make an estimated $9MM in 2017 after slashing .324/.381/.552 with 29 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 641 plate

appearances last season.

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Whether or not the Rockies land another starter, Bridich reiterated Wednesday that they’re pushing to improve their

bullpen, which was among the majors’ worst last season. With their top southpaw from 2016, Boone Logan, now on the

open market, the Rockies have turned some of their attention to fellow left-handed free agent reliever Mike Dunn (via

Thomas Harding of MLB.com).

“We’ve looked at just about every free-agent reliever, and with him being in the National League, we’ve seen him a

number of times and there’s some level of familiarity there,” Bridich said of the longtime Marlin. “And he’s still available.

He’s somebody, to a certain degree, we’re paying attention to.”

The Rockies are also in on right-hander Brad Ziegler, with Bridich telling Harding, “He’s certainly a good pitcher, and with

how many times we’ve seen him and faced him, we feel like we know him real well.”

As Bridich alluded to, the Rockies are familiar with Ziegler, who was with the NL West rival Diamondbacks from 2010 until

they traded him to Boston last July. Given his grounder-heavy ways (a 66.3 percent rate over 596 2/3 career innings), the

37-year-old Ziegler would seemingly be a solid fit at home run-happy Coors Field. He also has extensive experience as a

closer, having amassed 52 saves over the past two seasons, and would be a strong bet to serve in that role with the

Rockies.

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Rockies Remain Interested In Mark Trumbo, Could Trade OF To Clear Space By Charlie Wilmoth / MLB Trade Rumors| December 7, 2016 at 6:37pm CDT

The Rockies remain interested in signing Mark Trumbo despite their recent high-profile pact with Ian Desmond, FOX

Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes (Twitter links). The idea is that, since they already lost the No. 11 overall pick in the

Desmond deal, they would only lose a second-rounder as a result of acquiring Trumbo.

The Rockies could then play Trumbo, rather than Desmond, at first base (Trumbo’s best defensive position) and trade an

outfielder, perhaps Carlos Gonzalez, to make room for Desmond in the outfield. Gonzalez has just one more year

remaining on his contract, and the Rockies reportedly haven’t gotten far in extension talks with him. Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff

Passan adds that it’s also possible the Rockies could move Charlie Blackmon (who has lately been connected to the

Cardinals) or top corner infield prospect Ryan McMahon.

Trumbo has lately been connected to a wide variety of teams, including the Orioles, Indians, Mariners and Rangers. After

belting 47 home runs in 2016, he’s asking a steep price, reportedly $75MM or more over four years. That seems like a lot

to pay a one-dimensional slugger, but the idea of housing Trumbo’s spectacular power in Coors Field has to have the

Rockies salivating.

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MLB Rumor Central: Rockies still interested in Mark Trumbo? By Doug Mittler / ESPN.com | December 8, 2016

The Colorado Rockies' surprising decision to sign Ian Desmond does not necessarily rule them out of the chase for Mark

Trumbo.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports the Rockies are still open to signing Trumbo, who led the major leagues with 47

home runs for the Orioles last season. If Trumbo opted to play in Denver, he "would play first and the Rockies could

trade Carlos Gonzalez or Charlie Blackmon for pitching, clearing the way for Desmond to return to the outfield," Rosenthal

writes.

The Rockies agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal with Desmond on Wednesday, presumably to have him play first base.

As for other suitors, the Seattle Mariners have been linked to Trumbo, but they are no longer pursuing the

slugger, reported ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Meanwhile, the O's have been making an effort to bring him back.

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MLB Rumor Central: Rockies, Blue Jays discussing trade? By Nick Ostiller / ESPN.com | December 8, 2016

The Colorado Rockies shored up their lineup by agreeing to a deal with Ian Desmond on Wednesday, and now they're

focused on adding an American League pitcher.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Rockies have talked to the Toronto Blue Jays about a potential deal that

would send Marcus Stroman to Colorado.

Morosi notes that while trade discussions surrounding Stroman have also included the Rockies' Charlie Blackmon,

Toronto wants more than just the versatile center fielder in return.

Stroman, 25, went 9-10 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 32 starts last season, his first full campaign in the big leagues

after missing most of 2015 with a torn ACL. He struck out 166 and walked 54 in 204 innings.

The first-round draftee in 2012 and former top-100 prospect yielded a 60.1 percent ground ball rate last season, which

would likely play well in hitter-friendly Coors Field. Stroman, who is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this

winter, won't become a free agent until 2020. He earned $515,900 in 2016.

Blackmon has emerged as one of baseball's elite leadoff hitters throughout the past two years and is coming off the best

season of his career. He slashed .324/.381/.552 with 29 home runs, 82 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 2016. Blackmon

also finished third in the National League with 111 runs scored.

The 30-year-old made $3.5 million last season and is entering his second round of arbitration this winter. He will become

a free agent following the 2018 season.

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After surprising signing, how will Rockies use Ian Desmond? By David Schoenfield / ESPN.com | December 8, 2016

From the world of "Let's try and make sense of this:" The Colorado Rockies have agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal

with Ian Desmond to play ... first base.

Desmond's transition from shortstop to center field with the Rangers went as well as could be expected, as he was

adequate there but not great (minus-6 defensive runs saved). The Rockies, however, already have Carlos

Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon and David Dahl in the outfield, so this signing appears to slot Desmond at first base. In a

market saturated with first basemen who would seemingly be drooling to play at Coors Field -- Edwin Encarnacion, Mark

Trumbo, Mike Napoli, Chris Carter -- the Rockies instead spend $70 million and lose their first-round pick (11th overall) in

the process.

So what's the thinking?

(A) GM Jeff Bridich clearly values versatility. So while Desmond might be the regular first baseman, he might also turn into

the Rockies' version of Ben Zobrist, playing all over the field. It would also free the team up to potentially trade Blackmon if

something comes up and potentially make an even bigger offseason splash.

(B) Desmond is durable, having averaged 156 games the past four seasons and playing at least 154 in six of his seven

seasons. For a franchise built around the injury-prone Troy Tulowitzki and Gonzalez in recent seasons, this is an

important factor.

(C) Maybe they believed they couldn't wait on a Trumbo or Encarnacion, or didn't want to go to the secondary tier of guys

such as Adam Lind, James Loney, Brandon Moss or re-signing Mark Reynolds. Sometimes you just have to sign a guy if

you have the chance.

My concern with Desmond is that while he turned a big May and June with the Rangers into an All-Star appearance -- he

hit .351 with 11 home runs those two months -- he hit just .237/.283/.347 in the second half, more in line with his

disappointing 2015 season with the Nationals. He hit .330 at home with the Rangers, but .241 on the road. He still struck

out a lot and didn't walk much. His overall park-adjusted wRC+ of 106 made him a slightly above-average hitter, although

that would put him in the bottom half of first basemen and only a small improvement over Reynolds' 99 mark.

21

With full seasons and possible improvement from Dahl and Trevor Story, the Rockies' lineup should be their best since

their World Series team in 2007:

CF Blackmon

2B DJ LeMahieu

3B Nolan Arenado

RF Gonzalez

SS Story

LF Dahl

1B Desmond

C Tony Wolters/Tom Murphy

That's a fun lineup. The young rotation showed promise in 2016, with guys such as Tyler Anderson, Tyler

Chatwood and Jon Gray putting up good Coors Field-adjusted numbers. The bullpen needs help or needs to pitch better.

Manager Bud Black should provide a little more energy from the dugout than Walt Weiss. Are the Rockies contenders?

Going from 75 wins to 90 won't be easy and Desmond isn't really much of an upgrade over Reynolds, but there's some

intriguing talent here.