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Rockies could be in market to trade Holliday

by Ken Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX.

Updated: May 15, 2008, 7:26 PM EST 117 comments

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Matt Holliday led the Colorado Rockies to their first World Series last season, finishing second in the National League MVP balloting.

Matt Holliday: Career stats

Matt Holliday Colorado Rockies Left field

Year	G	H	AVG	HR	RBI	R
2004	121	116	.290	14	57	65
2005	125	147	.307	19	87	68
2006	155	196	.326	34	114	119
2007	158	216	.340	36	137	120
2008	37	47	.318	6	21	27
Totals	596	722	.319	109	416	399

But Holliday, an All-Star left fielder, might not be in Colorado much longer if the Rockies do not revive soon.

The Rockies, 10 games back in the NL West, almost certainly would consider trading Holliday, knowing they stand little chance of keeping him long-term.

Holliday, 28, could be this year's Mark Teixeira — a Scott Boras client traded with a year-plus remaining on his contract by a team seeking value for a franchise-type player.

The Rockies signed Holliday to a two-year, $23 million deal in January, but could lose him as a free agent after the 2009 season and receive only draft picks in return.

After overcoming an 18-27 start last season, the Rockies will not give up on their season easily, not when they are 15-25 with essentially the same team.

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, however, is out until the All-Star break with a leg injury, and the NL appears stronger than it was last season. The Rockies rank 13th in the league in runs and 15th in ERA.

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Closer Brian Fuentes, who is eligible for free agency after this season, also could be a candidate to be traded if the Rockies fail to improve upon their early performance.

So could third baseman Garrett Atkins, though the Rockies probably would prefer to move Holliday, who is a year closer to free agency. Class AAA third baseman Ian Stewart could replace Holliday in left field, with Atkins remaining at third.

The Rangers received five highly regarded prospects for Teixeira and left-hander Ron Mahay last July. The Rockies, deep in prospects at Class AAA and AA, could seek a similar package, perhaps even taking chances on high-ceiling players at lower levels.

Holliday is one of the few Colorado cornerstones who is not signed long-term; Atkins is another. Last off-season, the Rockies reached multi-year agreements with Tulowitzki, right-hander Aaron Cook, closer Manny Corpas and right fielder Brad Hawpe. Those deals, for the most part, were considered club-friendly.

Holliday probably would want a contract closer to the eight-year, $152.3 million deal that the Tigers recently awarded Miguel Cabrera. Teixeira rejected a reported eight-year contract for approximately $140 million from the Rangers just before he was traded.

While the Rockies have discussed long-term deals with Holliday, who is earning $9 million this season, they have made it clear they will not pay top dollar, and probably not go beyond six years.

The trade market for Holliday, meanwhile, likely would be robust, especially from teams in the suddenly offense-starved American League. If the Rockies did not get the package they wanted, they could always put off a deal until the offseason, when an even greater number of teams likely would be interested.

Last year, Matt Holliday was a hero in Colorado. This year, he could be trade bait. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)

Among the clubs that could pursue Holliday:

Cleveland. The Indians need to inject offense. They might prefer to upgrade in their infield, but their production in both outfield corners is poor.

St. Louis. While the Cardinals' corner-outfield production has been surprisingly good, the team lacks a slugger who can protect first baseman Albert Pujols.

New York Yankees. Their greater need is pitching, and a trade of Hideki Matsui or Johnny Damon would be necessary to clear left for Holliday. The Yankees, though, have payroll flexibility; more than $80M in salaries is coming off their books at the end of the season.

Oakland. Don't put it past general manager Billy Beane to be both a buyer and seller at the deadline — particularly when he could flip Holliday during the offseason.

Detroit. Holliday would represent more offensive excess, and the Tigers have little left to trade. But with Gary Sheffield moving back to the DH spot, the Tigers' left-field options are Matt Joyce, Marcus Thames and Ryan Raburn.

Toronto. The Blue Jays have been looking for a left fielder all season. Payroll, though, is an issue — the Blue Jays are at $97 million, including the balance of Frank Thomas' $8 million salary.

Seattle. A team with obvious offensive deficiencies, but the Mariners traded five players for left-hander Erik Bedard last offseason and their payroll already is at $117.6 million.

New York Mets. No obvious need, at least as long as Moises Alou is healthy. Plus, the Mets' system is thin after trading four prospects for left-hander Johan Santana.

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