MLB Trade Deadline 2017: 5 best spots for Justin Verlander

4. Colorado Rockies

Justin Verlander is a smart man, and he has been forced to reinvent the wheel with his approach on the mound as his velocity dips from its peak in his early twenties. With that in mind, how interested would he be in pitching in Coors Field? Verlander is not having an outstanding season like his 2016 near-miss at the Cy Young and has not had this high a walk rate since his rookie season.

All that being said, the Rockies cannot afford to let the trade deadline pass them by without acquiring a starting pitcher. They are mired in an eight-game losing streak and have seen their rookie starters begin to hit a wall. Verlander has shown before that he is capable of modifying his delivery and approach to succeed, and may be able to do it again in Coors Field to turn his season around.

Command, not stuff seems to be the issue for Verlander this season, and his home-run rate is in line with his career norms. Opponents are slugging .390 against him this year, which is not a monumental jump from last season. He is running into trouble thanks to all the extra traffic on the bases from his 4.2 BB/9.

The Rockies still have a commanding lead on the second wild card in the National League and there are no real challengers for their position likely to emerge in the second half. It’s a down year in the NL, and most teams on the fringes of the playoff picture are going to sell off. Being content to make the play-in game to the real playoffs should not be good enough for the Rockies, and adding an ace to help carry Jeff Hoffman, Kyle Freeland, and Antonio Senzatela through their first pennant race should be the front office’s number-one priority.