Colorado Rockies |

Newman: To get back to the postseason, Rockies need to trade for a proven starting pitcher. Here’s the arms they should target.

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: If the Rockies want to get back to the postseason for a club record third consecutive year, their rotation is going to need help.

That means general manager Jeff Bridich must deviate from the usual draft-and-build plan that, to his credit, has led to high expectations. In order to achieve those October expectations Bridich must be bold, and make a play for a proven starter to prop up the team’s most glaring deficiency.

Colorado’s rotation has a 5.85 ERA this year, the worst in the National League. German Marquez has mostly lived up to expectations, but besides that, the starting pitching’s been a disaster.

Opening day starter Kyle Freeland got demoted to Triple-A, and fellow southpaw Tyler Anderson underwent knee surgery and appears unlikely to return in 2019. Jon Gray and Antonio Senzatela have been inconsistent, while unproven right-handers Jeff Hoffman and rookie Peter Lambert have shown promise. But to put the weight of a wild-card chase on Hoffman and Lambert’s shoulders is both bad strategy and a disservice to the other playoff-caliber aspects of the club.

So what arm out there is going to help save Colorado’s season?

The best starters the Rockies could realistically make a strong push for are Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd, Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman and perhaps even Reds right-hander Luis Castillo. The Tigers are definitely deadline sellers, while Stroman’s made it clear that he’s not happy in Toronto.

Boyd (5-5, 3.35 ERA) ranks fifth in the American League with 112 strikeouts, and the K artist is under club control through 2022 — meaning a trade for him could bolster Colorado’s rotation not just this year, but for the future. The same with Stroman (4-8, 3.18), a groundball pitcher who isn’t eligible for free agency until 2021. While Castillo (7-1, 2.26) represents the biggest reach of the three because he’s a low-service-time, high-ceiling starter, why not at least inquire with scuffling Cincinnati to see what they’re willing to consider for him?

Colorado should also consider trading for Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales and Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer. They’d both be expensive in terms of prospects and salaries, but the veterans could immediately give the top half of Colorado’s rotation a boost.

Gonzales (7-6, 4.50) is the No. 1 pitcher on a Seattle team that’s “deep in sell mode,” per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. But to get Gonzales — a Rocky Mountain High School product who’s making $950k this year — will likely require an above-market prospect. Meanwhile, as Cleveland has underperformed, there is reason to think the Tribe may move Bauer (5-6, 3.41), who was an all-star in 2018 and is making $13 million.

And hey, testing the waters for an ace headed to Cooperstown couldn’t hurt, either. This is no time to be passive. While the last-place Giants likely won’t deal Madison Bumgarner within the division — the most recent rumblings have him going to the Twins — there’s another Cy Young arm out there, Max Scherzer, whose Nationals are fading quickly from the postseason picture.

Is it a pipe dream to think of Mad Max in purple pinstripes? Most likely, as it would deplete the Rockies’ reserve of top prospects.

The point is, it doesn’t have to be Sherzer. But the Rockies need someone. It has to be a gutsy trade for a proven arm to help Colorado steer its way back to the postseason.