Colorado Rockies trade rumors: Could the Angels still make a run at Carlos Gonzalez?

MLB Trade Rumors: Will the Angels get Carlos Gonzalez? - Cheat Sheet

After the extremely unpleasant departure of Josh Hamilton, the Angels outfield has been left with a gaping hole in left field. Outside of the signings of Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry to one-year deals, the Angels haven’t done much to find a solid everyday player. The Angels have touched base with a handful of top-tier free agent outfielders this offseason, but haven’t been able to strike any deals. The Rockies and Angels reportedly had talks involving Angels pitcher Hector Santiago, but the Rockies apparently backed out after reliever Trevor Gott got shipped to the Nationals in the Yunel Escobar trade.

The author of the above-linked piece (which breaks down the details nicely), Bob Garcia, believes there’s still a chance the Angels and Rockies could find middle ground regarding a trade for CarGo:

"Even with Gott no longer an option, the Angels could still find a way to work out a deal for Gonzalez — if they are willing to move Santiago and some minor-league prospects. The team currently has a surplus of starting pitching on the roster, with seven potential starters including Tyler Skaggs (returning from Tommy John surgery) and Matt Shoemaker (likely healed from his bothersome hip injury)."

Personally, I want nothing to do with either Skaggs or Shoemaker, and would like to see the Rockies make a run for Andrew Heaney. Unfortunately, I’m afraid CarGo alone might not get the job done, and the last thing I want to see is any prospects being included in a trade. Regardless, I hope Jeff Bridich is playing his cards right and is really pushing to make a deal happen before spring training.

30 teams, 30 New Year’s resolutions - Sports on Earth

Since Troy Tulowitzki was traded this past July, the spotlight has been on Carlos Gonzalez, and whether or not the Rockies are going to trade him. After hitting a career-high 40 home runs and playing in 153 games, it seems like this is the Rockies’ best chance to cash in and continue stockpiling prospects in the minors. CarGo has been an amazing player to watch for the last eight years, but ultimately it’s time for the Rockies to completely move on from the Tulo/CarGo era and start to build for the future.

It’s Not Cricket, but It’s a Ballgame in Australia - The New York Times

Despite being shadowed by sports such as rugby and cricket, the Australian Baseball League continues to grow in Australia. A handful of major leaguers have spent time there, including Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorious. After a rough year in the minors, Rockies’ prospect Correlle Prime went to Australia to participate in the ABL to continue to work on his game, and hopefully get back on track next season.

Rockies would risk overplaying their hand by adding Gerardo Parra - Mile High Sports

While all of the NL West teams are signing big free-agent pitchers, the Rockies have their sights set on Gerardo Parra. Yeah, it’s weird at first glance, but it makes sense if you assume the Rockies have plans on trading one of their current three outfielders. Casey Light from Mile High Sports has a legitimate concern: If the Rockies acquire Parra before trading away one of their outfielders, they lose a lot of leverage in their trade talks, as it make no sense for the Rockies to have four full-time outfielders on the roster. Jeff Bridich is a smart man, and I can't picture him carrying four full-time outfielders into 2016, but it's still something to keep an eye on.