Blue Jays: Five logical landing spots for Marco Estrada

Colorado Rockies – Fringe Competitor

One of the most exciting and nerve-wracking teams of the 2018 season, the wild-card battling Colorado Rockies have already reinforced their bullpen this season with the acquisition of Blue Jays reliever Seunghwan Oh a week before the non-waiver trade deadline. Even with that addition, the Rockies sit 28th in baseball with a cumulative bullpen ERA of 5.09.

Though the aforementioned Oh has been stellar since his arrival in Denver, relievers Bryan Shaw (6.60 ERA, 1.832 WHIP), Jake McGee (6.63 ERA, 1.474 WHIP) and even star closer Wade Davis (4.98 ERA, 1.213 WHIP) have been awfully shaky and clearly indicate the need for some additional arms in the bullpen.

Rockies starters have been dependable enough, so Estrada could be purely a reliever (or spot-starter) if they do decide to pursue the 2016 American League All-Star, and don’t see him as an upgrade over what they’ve both in the rotation. He would likely be an upgrade at the back of the rotation at the very least, but working at Coors Field could be interesting for the fly ball pitcher. Primarily a reliever prior to coming to Toronto, Estrada is no stranger to the bullpen, so he could fit in either role.

Payroll wise, the Rockies could squeeze out enough funds to make room for Estrada, so the match isn’t as perfect as it appears to be at first glance. Still, the team managed by Bud Black would also love the opportunity to play some postseason baseball before their core of talented players hits free agency.

For much of the season, experts have noted the Colorado Rockies as being a dark horse for both sneaky trades and blockbusters alike. That being said, it’s hard to imagine that the Rockies haven’t at least considered the possibility of adding a starter with Estrada’s skillset.