Colorado Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon has seen his name crop up in trade talks this winter, and they have continued into the new year.
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Blue Jays Have Inquired About Blackmon
Tuesday, Jan. 3
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Toronto Blue Jays have spoken with the Rockies regarding a deal involving Blackmon, but negotiations “do not appear to have much momentum right now.”
Blackmon has been a serviceable outfielder on a Rockies team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2009, one season before the 30-year-old made his major league debut.
He’s coming off a career year in 2016 in which he batted .324 with 29 home runs and 82 RBI. All of those marks are career bests, and he won his first Silver Slugger Award.
But the Rockies could be faced with a crowded outfield after acquiring Ian Desmond during the winter meetings. It all depends on where they will play him, though.
Coming up as a shortstop, Desmond spent his first seven professional seasons with the Washington Nationals at that position before moving to center field with the Texas Rangers for one year in 2016.
If the Rockies were to use Desmond as a center fielder, Blackmon all of a sudden becomes expendable with Gerardo Parra in left field and Carlos Gonzalez in right.
According to MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm on Dec. 26, Colorado had already offered Blackmon to the Blue Jays in return for starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, but Toronto did not want to part with its young arm.
Chisholm also added that the Blue Jays “would love to acquire Blackmon,” but “it just doesn’t seem possible.”
The Rockies’ depth chart, which was last updated on Dec. 31, lists Desmond as the team’s starting first baseman with Blackmon securely starting in center.
If the plan is to keep Desmond in the infield, then there shouldn’t be many reasons to part with Blackmon given his production in 2016 unless the return is far too great to turn down.
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