It was no secret that the Colorado Rockies have held Cole Carrigg in high regard since he was drafted by the organization on the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft in 2023. The belief that the Turlock native can play a significant role in helping the club return to its former glory has been reaffirmed by his recent performance and the front office’s approach to Monday’s trade deadline.
Nearly five hours prior to the MLB trade deadline at 3 p.m. PST on Monday, it was first reported by Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic that the Rockies were sending outfielder Brenton Doyle to the Chicago White Sox for a pair of prospects — right-handed pitcher Mason Adams and infielder Carlos Vielma.
Tossing the car keys to Carrigg is simply the correct decision.
From a roster construction standpoint, the deal relieves a logjam of outfielders on the Rockies 40-man roster while also making a clear indication that the team would prefer the 24-year-old Carrigg be a constant in the outfield. Since being called up to make his MLB debut on June 9, Carrigg, the team’s former No. 6 prospect, has played in the large majority of the games, appearing in 45 of 48 Rockies games, including 39 starts.
More importantly, the move is absolutely warranted by Carrigg’s performance.
At the plate, the 2020 Turlock High graduate has a .308 batting average and a .917 OPS. Of his 45 hits, 19 have been for extra bases (11 doubles, three triples, five home runs), while also drawing 20 walks. The switch-hitter has driven in 28 runs and scored 33 times. He has strung together 13 multi-hit games and has logged a career-best three hits in a single game on four different occasions.
Defensively, Carrigg has made 44 appearances in the outfield and four at shortstop, including two starts this past week. He has a .986 fielding percentage and has recorded 133 total putouts with four outfield assists, while also making his share of acrobatic catches.
Despite Carrigg being one of the top rookies in his class, the balance of playing time only became more difficult for manager Warren Schaeffer when Doyle was activated off the injured list on Friday and started in center in a 3-1 win against Kansas City. Carrigg entered the game in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement and didn’t have a plate appearance.
Doyle had been on the IL since May 19 when he suffered a left oblique contusion. His return to the big leagues was delayed when he suffered a left groin strain June 30 while on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque. After it was all said and done, the 28-year-old batted .214 with one home run and five RBIs for the Rockies over 45 games before being dealt Monday.
Later in the day, the Rockies recalled Jordan Beck from Triple-A to bring the number of outfielders on the 26-man roster to five. With Carrigg, Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak, Beck and Troy Johnston could serve as important depth. Carrigg and Beck also represent the team’s right-handed hitting options in the outfield.
The Rockies entered Tuesday at 45-68 (.398 winning percentage), the worst record in the National League, making it ever more crucial to give the young core of Carrigg, Moniak and Beck, as well as infielders Kyle Karros and TJ Rumfield, as much big league experience as possible. Top prospects Charlie Condon (1B/RF), Zac Veen (OF) and Sterlin Thompson (OF) are also waiting in the wings in Triple-A.
“This gives us even more time to evaluate our guys and see which other ones maybe can help us fill some holes in other parts of our club if, in fact, we need it,” said first-year President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta during media availability following Tuesday’s deadline.
As far as the Turlocker Carrigg is concerned, guaranteeing a clear path for him to play not just through the end of this season but heading into 2027 is an important step for a new front office looking to bring Colorado its first winning ballclub and postseason contender since 2018.
“We have a lot of good players. We want to see how those players come together,” DePodesta said. “In June, we were a very good offensive club, one of the best in baseball. I think the best offensive club we’ve had here in a month in a long period of time, so we do feel like it’s coming together. It was designed back in the off season, specifically, so that we would have at least a two-year runway with all those players if we felt like we could afford that. So that didn’t change.
“We weren’t trying to bluff anybody. At this deadline, it was, ‘Hey, we like these players, and we think they can be part of our future, not just our present.’ That’s the stance we took.”
Athletics quiet at trade deadline as injuries and losses pile up
As the Rockies made three trades involving its major league roster, the Athletics made none. The lone transaction completed was a minor league deal that sent the organization’s former No. 3 prospect, outfielder Colby Thomas, to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for reliever Seth Johnson.
Johnson, 27, had a 2.17 ERA over 29 innings with six saves for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. He has made 27 career MLB appearances since debuting in 2024, posting a 7.18 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings.
The arrival of Johnson is viewed as a depth option for an A’s team that has been decimated by injuries, especially on its pitching staff, where 12 arms between the major and minor league rosters have spent time on the IL. In turn, the A’s bullpen currently sports a 5.67 ERA, the worst in baseball.
The lack of moves for a club continuing to rebuild and has a dismal 45-67 record is a bit of a shock, but much of it has to do a lot with injuries.
One of the biggest trade chips the Athletics held was All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers, who tore his meniscus two weeks ago and could miss the rest of the season, unable to help any high-paying contenders across the league.
First baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson, who finished 1-2 in American League Rookie of the Year voting last season, are also each day-to-day with injuries, but are considered untouchable by the A’s.
There were rumors over the past week that teams had checked in on the availability of Turlock native Tyler Soderstrom, one of the few young stars that has remained mostly healthy this season. Nevertheless, none of those online rumors have been confirmed.
General Manager David Forst did not address the media Monday or Tuesday to share any insight on the team’s trade deadline deals (or lack thereof).
