Rockies rumored to place multiple veterans on trade block
Every year at Major League Baseball’s Trade Deadline, teams are labeled as buyers or sellers. Buyers are teams that are looking to go all in, seeking those extra pieces to make them true World Series contenders. Then, there are sellers – the organizations that have their sights set on the future, looking to capitalize on trading a player away for talent on the horizon.
The 2025 Colorado Rockies could not fit the ‘seller’ persona more. With 22 wins at the All-Star break, which has them sitting 34 games back in the NL West, they quite literally have nothing to lose. In light of this, they have opened the possibility of trading three of their most tenured veterans.
Ryan McMahon – 3B
Rumors of McMahon on the trade block began last summer after his All-Star appearance, but never gained enough traction to be realistic. However, an article by The Athletic’s MLB Senior Writer Ken Rosenthal said the Rockies are going to acknowledge trade offers more this deadline than they have in the past.
McMahon played his 1,000th career game for Colorado in early July, starting his career as the organization’s next Nolan Arenado and maturing into a veteran leader for the 2025 squad. He’s been inconsistent all year, falling victim to more slumps than he normally does, including an 0-for-35 streak in April.
McMahon provides far more upside defensively than at the plate, ranked as the second-best defensive third baseman in the league by Fan Graphs. He has the most games played at the hot corner this year and will add sound, reliable fielding, no matter what team he’s playing for.
There has been a sizable demand for the 30-year-old ever since he was rumored to hit the market. Major contenders like the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs have been interested in the upgrade at third base, with the Yankees being the front-runners since last July.
Out of any possible trade the Rockies make over the coming weeks, it’s unlikely they’ll get a player in return that will make the lineup immediately. McMahon’s defense is worth a handful of prospects alone, and the Yankees offer a vast majority of young pitchers that could be shipped to Colorado.
Germán Márquez – SP
Márquez is the longest-tenured Rockie on the team, returning in 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery two years ago. He’s anchored the rotation with the fifth-most starts in the National League (20) but the second-most losses (11) this year.
Márquez was building a career-worst season in 2025, with his ERA getting up to 9.90 in early May. However, he averaged less than three runs an outing during June and is slowly putting his name back on the market.
Márquez is the foremost Rockie to be dealt since his contract expires at the end of the year, so Colorado might as well get something back instead of letting him walk this winter. It is very common for teams to trade for a “lender,” a ballplayer who’s about to hit free agency at the end of the year, no matter what team he’s on.
Any contending team that is lacking starting pitching depth could utilize Márquez, with rumored destinations like the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs again. There is a world where the Rockies trade both McMahon and Márquez to Chicago in return for a package of prospects.
Jake Bird – RP
Bird will be one of the most interesting players to watch this month, since he’s been a silver lining for the Rox all year, but as of late, is plummeting his demand. As a middle-inning relief pitcher, Bird kept his ERA mostly below 2.00 until mid-June, but in his last eight outings, he has allowed 13 runs and raised it from 2.06 to 4.09 over that span.
Bird’s success this year surfaced abruptly, as he’s been just another lackluster bullpen arm in the 2020s. However, by dropping in velocity, he’s fine-tuned his accuracy, now hitting the strike zone 5.7% more often than in 2024.
Colorado has Bird under contract for the next three years, with trade buzz swirling since his compensation might be the best right now in his career. He’d be a nice addition for teams looking for long-term options to beef up their bullpen.
Some of the top contenders with poor relief pitchers in 2025 are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. Since McMahon has been traced back to New York, a possible bundle of players could come to Colorado in return for both guys.
The Rockies will have the phone ringing up until the trade deadline, which is at 4 p.m. MDT on Thursday, July 31. Stay tuned for every move on Mountain Time Sports Report.
STATS UPDATED 7/20/25