MLB Trade Deadline, Rumors & Roundup: Colorado Rockies Happy To Take A Chance On What They've Got

After 83 games, the Rockies stand at 45-38, third in the NL West. It was a tough battle to reach that after entering the season with high expectations. The main story line has been how great Ubaldo Jimenez has been so far this season. He threw a no-hitter in April against the Braves and came close to a second one against the Astros in May. Despite rough starts his last three games, Jimenez is still 14-1 with a chance for 15 wins before the All-Star Break.

Outside of Jimenez and Jason Hammel (after he returned from the DL in May), the rotation has been a mixture of filling holes and poor performances. Aaron Cook has been adequate at best and Jeff Francis has done OK after having missed the entire 2009 season. Youngster Jhoulys Chacin goes out there every fifth game pitching to stay in the rotation and has held his own, but with the return of Jorge De La Rosa around the All-Star Break he will likely move to the bullpen.

Offensively, Troy Tulowitzki was one of the few offensive bright spots for the Rockies until he went down with a broken wrist in the middle of June. In his absence, the entire lineup has picked itself up and started to produce runs, something that was hard to come by in April and May. Catcher Miguel Olivo, in his first year with the Rockies, has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, if only at Coors Field. Watch those triples fly when he's at home. Carlos Gonzalez, one of the players fans can vote for as the last man on the All-Star ballot, has picked up where he left off last year and leads the team in home runs (14) and RBI (52). We also have witnessed a definite decline in Todd Helton's ability to hit. He could use more time off and have RF Brad Hawpe slide over the first every so often to spell him.

So, are the Rockies buyers or sellers? More likely the team is set in neutral. Given that the team has picked itself up since Tulowitzki's injury, Dan O'Dowd seems unlikely to make a major move during July. One of the core philosophies of the O'Dowd regime has been to build from within. Back in 2007 promoting Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales during the middle of the season set up the Rockies for a run later that season. While it might be nice to dream of trading for Dan Haren or Cliff Lee, it's not going to happen.

As mentioned earlier, the Rockies will have Jorge De La Rosa back in the rotation after the All-Star Break. This will be a huge addition for the Rockies as it will help stabilize the rotation in the top three spots: Jimenez, Hammel, De La Rosa. Moving Chacin to the bullpen will help save it from being over-stretched (if it hasn't already been).

If GM Dan O'Dowd were to make a trade, it would be for some bullpen help. The Manny Corpas of 2007 has turned into the Manuel Corpas of 2010 who just can't buy a good appearance lately (blowing several key games by several runs). Franklin Morales and Esmil Rogers continue to revolve back and forth from Colorado Springs. Last year, O'Dowd traded for Rafael Betancourt, who helped the Rockies on their run to the Wild Card. If O'Dowd does make a move, it will be like that trade: solid, but nothing spectacular. In the end, the Rockies don't need to make a big splash in order to make the playoffs. They need to keep their heads down and inch toward the light.