The Rockies have traded two former first round draft picks, third baseman Ian Stewart and right hand minor league reliever Casey Weathers, to the Cubs for another pair of once promising prospects, outfielder Tyler Colvin and infielder D.J. LeMahieu according to an Internet report from Troy Renck.
After a disappointing 2011 season, the Rockies have overhauled the young roster that won the 2009 Wild Card, already sending out catcher Chris Iannetta and reliever Huston Street in earlier off season deals, not to mention ace Ubaldo Jimenez during the summer to Cleveland.
The 23 year old LeMahieu hit .250 in a limited 60 at bat debut with the Cubs in 2011, after batting .317 in three seasons in the minor leagues. He was a second round choice of the Cubs in 2009 out of Louisiana State. The 26 year old Colvin was the Cubs first round pick of the 2006 draft and had a breakout .254/.316/.500 season in 2010 before getting speared by a broken bat of Wellington Castillo in an infamous September incident. He recovered physically, but went through a .150/.204/.306 season with the Cubs who grew disenchanted that he'd be able to regain his lost stature.
After the Cubs signed David Dejesus earlier in the off season, Colvin became expendable and eventually talks began to circulate with the Rockies around Stewart about moving the two fallen prospects in a challenge trade.