Rockies trade rumors: Discussions surround Carlos Gonzalez but price is high, per report

Even as spring training games get underway this week, the Colorado Rockies may not be done tinkering, if rumors published Friday are to be believed. The club has apparently had some level of discussion with other teams regarding a potential trade involving Carlos Gonzalez, according to a report from CBS Chicago's Bruce Levine.

Levine's report is two-fold; the first part is total speculation that the Chicago White Sox could be interested in either CarGo or Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce to shore up a corner outfield spot on the South Side. There's a second component, though, that bears watching over the next few weeks; Levine reveals a conversation he had with an unnamed general manager about the Rockies' outfielder:

Gonzalez hit 40 homers and had 97 RBIs last season. The money for Gonzalez and what the Rockies front office is asking for in return appear to be the holdup right now.

"They asked for my top two minor league players, a major league player and to absorb most of the contract," said a general manager who was interested in Gonzalez. "We will wait for something more realistic."

Gonzalez has $37 million left on his deal over two years.

That's a significant development if true, and it would indicate the Rockies are actively looking around for major moves to make even before the season begins. Such a trade would certainly and significantly shake up the Rockies, and might shed more light on recent free agent acquisitions the club has made, too.

Of course, this isn't the first time Gonzalez has come up in trade rumors, nor is this the first time Levine specifically has pondered a connection to the White Sox.

Beyond that, though, without the context of knowing which general manager said this about the Rockies' asking price, it's difficult to gauge whether general manager Jeff Bridich is being unrealistic in his demands, or wise to hold out for something better. For example, the "top two minor league players" in, say, the Angels' farm system are worlds apart from the Braves or the Dodgers, as MLB Trade Rumors notes.

In the meantime, Gonzalez continues to feel good early in spring training, as he told us on Wednesday, and he's seeing the ball well in games already this month.