MLB Trade Deadline 2017: 5 best spots for Yoenis Cespedes
By John Buhler
Colorado Rockies
NL, West
Barring a team like the Chicago Cubs catching complete fire in the second half, it would be shocking to not see the Colorado Rockies make the NL postseason as a wild card team. Through 97 games, the Rockies are 56-41 and are in possession of the first NL Wild Card spot. Good pitching and timely hitting have allowed Colorado to be one of the better teams in the Senior Circuit this year.
That being said, they could use some pop in the outfield. This Rockies team has leaned on third basemen Nolan Arenado and centerfielder Charlie Blackmon for a good bit of their offensive production. The Rockies have other good hitters like second basemen D.J. LeMahieu and the power hitter Mark Reynolds at first base, but one more bat would take Colorado from a wild card team to a World Series contender.
Colorado could put Cespedes in left field and plug him into the Rockies batting order to yield good results. He’d have the protection around him to really take off at the plate. Cespedes would allow other hitters in the Rockies’ order to get even better looks at the plate.
Getting to a World Series would be great for Colorado, but winning the wild card game is more important at this time. They’ll likely face the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks, maybe even the Cubs, in that win-or-go-home scenario. It’s coming down to an arms race and likely the best offense of the bunch will get to play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS in October.