Keeler vs. Saunders: Should Rockies “sell high” on MLB All-Star MVP Elias Diaz for more pitching?

The Rockies rarely make impactful trades at the deadline, but this year they appear poised to trade a reliever, or two, and maybe an outfielder. But what about All-Star catcher Elias Diaz? Would Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt deal him if someone comes calling? Should Schmidt deal him? Denver Post Rockies beat writer Patrick Saunders and columnist Sean Keeler debate.

Keeler: The Better Half follows baseball the way most under 45 follow baseball, which is, to say, not a lick. Yet during vacation last week, while watching highlights of Elias Diaz and his heroics at the 2023 All-Star Game from afar, we had this exchange:

“Look at that! Hey, good for Elias Diaz,” I chuckled. “Rockies get their first catcher into the ASG and he’s their first-ever All-Star MVP.”

“Good guy?” Mrs. K asked.

“Oh, yeah. Super guy. He’s 32, though. You watch, they’re gonna try and sign him to an extension now.”

“Really? Why would he sign it?”

“If it’s crazy money, like, Bruce Brown money, he’d be nuts not to. But most teams on track for 100 losses wouldn’t do that. They’d sell high.”

“Yeah, I’d try to trade him.”

“See, now you’re thinking like a rational, sensible baseball person — you’re not thinking like the Rockies’ front office. They’ll look at this All-Star attention and see a guy who’s suddenly the new face of the franchise. ‘Why, we can’t get rid of him — he’s an All-Star MVP!’”

“So he’s not the face?”

“He is not.”

“Because the face is …”

“Kris Bryant.”

“Who?”

“Exactly.”

Help me out here, Mr. Saunders. The Rockies need pitching. Right? They could use more young, cost-controlled pitching. Right? Heck, Schmidt even told you they would listen to trade offers to get young pitching. So while we’re bandying about names of Rox veterans to move before the trade deadline in order to try and import some young arms into the organization, while the focus has largely centered around Charlie Blackmon (too expensive, no-trade-clause), Randal Grichuk (contract year), C.J. Cron (contract year), and Jurickson Profar (good luck), am I nuts for thinking it’s time to put Diaz, your reigning ASG MVP, on the trading block as well?

Saunders: First of all, sorry to hear that Mrs. K doesn’t like baseball. But then, you’re a White Sox fan, so that’s kind of the same thing.

As for Diaz, you’re not nuts, except for the aforementioned ChiSox. But I just don’t know if there is a strong market out there for Diaz, but I would absolutely listen to legitimate offers. Yes, it would be a blow to the current team — Diaz is a leader — but at this point, what’s the difference between 97 losses and 105 losses? If Schmidt can acquire some talented young prospects he’s got to make the deal because the Rockies’ pitching cupboard is bare.

Keeler: Here’s the thing, though: If the Rox deal from the top of their organizational depth chart at catcher, they’d be acting from a position of relative strength in order to address a comparative weakness. The Rox are one of just four National League clubs, per FanGraphs, to feature more than one catcher among their top 12 prospects AND have both of those backstops graded out as a 40-plus “Future Value” player or better (the other three: Pittsburgh, San Diego, St. Louis). Granted, catchers Hunter Goodman (18 HR, .810 OPS at Double-A Hartford as of Monday, No. 9 on FanGraphs’ Rockies prospect rankings) and Drew Romo (.692 OPS, No. 12) are both under 25 and aren’t on track for The Show until mid-to-late 2024 at the earliest. That said, you’d be far more likely to find a veteran, MLB-ready free agent at catcher, who’d be willing to come to Coors Field on a one-year or two-year “prove-it” deal than you would a starting pitcher with the same mileage.

Saunders: Good point. You can always hire a veteran catcher or two from the International Brotherhood of Backup Catchers. Like left-handed relievers, catchers stick around forever because everybody needs them. Kind of like plumbers and electricians. I’m not sure if Goodman is the catcher of the future as much as Romo is, but Romo has stalled out a bit at Double-A.

Keeler: Two more things to keep in mind, though. First, of the Rockies’ top-five pitching prospects, according to FanGraphs, their average age is about 22-and-a-half — that cavalry ain’t coming for a while, if it comes at all. Second, for as good a servant as Diaz has been on Blake Street, he’ll be 33 in November. Among the best four catchers to come before Elias in Rockies history — a club of Yorvit Torrealba, Joe Girardi, Chris Iannetta and Jeff Reed — the quartet after age 32 averaged, among them, only four more MLB seasons and one campaign with a Baseball-Reference WAR of 1.0 or better. Diaz has a lot of things on his side right now. But time isn’t one of them.

Saunders: First of all, Diaz is a bargain. He signed a three-year, $14.5 million contract in November 2021. He’s making $5.5 million this season and $6 million next year in the final year of his deal. Given his strength and power, I believe he can be a productive catcher through 2025, so he has value. So if I were in the Rockies’ front office, I would put Diaz on the market and make phone calls. Indeed, I would listen to offers for almost everyone. The only player on the big-league roster that is off-limits right now is shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. He has a chance to be an All-Star and a Gold Glove winner as soon as next season.

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