Rockies 2026 Trade Deadline Grades: Solid moves, but an underwhelming day
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Brenton Doyle #9 of the Colorado Rockies takes the field prior to the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday, May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty ImagesThe first trade deadline under Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes has come and gone. Primed to be sellers, the Rockies managed to move a couple of players, but longtime fans of the club may be a bit disappointed about the overall activity, or lack thereof, for a team fighting to avoid 100 losses.Ive done my best to try and attribute grades to the three moves made. There isnt much of a formula as I looked over stat sheets and canvassed opinions from the internet as well as my fellow writers here at Purple Row. Everyone has a different method, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments, but time will tell how things pan out from today. So, without further ado, lets break it all down. Brenton Doyle sent to Chicago White SoxGrade: B+As the market heated up around the league, the Rockies finally joined in on the fun with their first trade of the day just before 11 am MDT. Colorado sent two-time Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle to the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitcher Mason Adams and 16-year-old shortstop Carlos Vielma. Injuries limited Doyle to just 45 games with the Rockies this season, where he struggled to a .214/.287/.282 with one home run in 129 plate appearances. Due to the emergence of rookie Cole Carrigg in center field, Doyle became expendable. Teams have long loved his defensive abilities, and the potential upside of his defense could benefit an exciting White Sox team. Meanwhile, Adams is knocking on the door of the big leagues and could debut with the Rockies this season. Drafted in the 13th round in 2022, Adams had steadily progressed through the minors with success until missing the entire 2025 season with Tommy John surgery. He has picked up where he left off this season, posting a 3.86 ERA in 14 appearances, including 12 starts across three levels. In 49 innings, he has 48 strikeouts against 19 walks. Vielma is more of a lottery ticket acquisition for the Rockies after he signed a $400,000 deal with the White Sox out of the Dominican Republic back in January. While still incredibly young, Vielma has played well in the Dominican Summer League, batting .337/.508/.474 with one home run, six doubles, two triples, and 31 RBI in 34 games. Vielmas plate discipline has been excellent in the DSL as well as he has 32 walks against 16 strikeouts in 95 at-bats.Takeaway: The Rockies have proven they were just fine without Doyle in the time he was out with injury. The goal for DePodesta was to bring back pitching capable of helping sooner, rather than later, and Adams checks that box. Vielma has some intriguing tools but has a long development path ahead of him still. Meanwhile, the White Sox get a controllable bat through 2029 that is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. If he can stabilize his offensive output, it could turn out quite well for Chicago.Brett Ballantini of our sister site South Side Sox was less enthusiastic about the trade, telling Sam Bradfield that the Rockies, 100% hoodwinked us.He went on to say, I dont think Id trade Mason Adams for him straight up, much less adding a 16-year-old masher. Certainly not if Im the team infamous for swapping away Fernando Tats Jr. for another player we didnt need.Antonio Senzatela sent to the Milwaukee BrewersGrade: BThe Rockies next move didnt come until 3:13 pm MDT when the news broke that the Milwaukee Brewers were closing in on a deal for Antonio Senzatela. In return, the Rockies acquired left-handed reliever Mark Manfredi and infielder Juan Martinez. It seemed a foregone conclusion that Senzatela would be dealt. The 31-year-old is on an expiring contract, but has a $14 million club option that is most likely to be declined. Still, a move to the bullpen has helped Senzatela bolster his raw talent under the new pitching regime in Colorado. Senzatela added a few ticks on his fastball to an average of 97 mph while adding other pitches to his arsenal. In 34 games, he has a 3.61 ERA over 52.2 innings of work while also collecting 46 strikeouts against 17 walks.Manfredi, 26, was drafted in the ninth round back in 2023 by the Brewers. Over the last two seasons, Manfredi has settled in as a full-time reliever and found plenty of success. He is currently in Triple-A Nashville, where he sports a 3.08 ERA in 23.1 innings over 18 games. Odds are that Manfredi could find himself in the Rockies bullpen before the season is over. Martinez, 19, signed with the Brewers in 2024 out of Venezuela for $125,000. He excelled in two seasons in the DSL before moving to the Arizona Complex League this year. In 40 games, he hit .356/.476/.599 with 12 doubles, a triple, six home runs, and 27 RBIs while also swiping 21 bases. He also showed off his strong plate discipline with 28 walks against 19 strikeouts. He was promoted to Low-A early in July, where he was trying to find his footing. While he is listed as a shortstop, he has spent the majority of his time at second base and third base as well as a handful of appearances in left field. Takeaway: The fact that this type of trade was even on the table for Senzatela is a nice feather in the cap for the head honchos in Colorado. He managed to revitalize his career by embracing a reliever role and actually found a way to truly develop for the first time during his 10-year stint with the Rockies. The Brewers get a useful tool in the bullpen as he is capable of working multiple innings, working as a stopper, or closing games. Meanwhile, the Rockies get some much-needed left-handed reliever depth, something quite scarce in the organization that can show up in Denver in a relatively short time. Martinez is also a nice lottery pick to stack the infield depth in the lower levels, much like Vielma earlier in the day. Its a beneficial deal for both sides and doesnt cost too much. Victor Vodnik sent to the Miami MarlinsGrade: C+Leading up to the 4 pm MDT deadline, the Rockies sent reliever Victor Vodnik to the Miami Marlins, acquiring infielder Connor Norby and right-handed pitcher Aiden May. Vodniks time in Colorado was a bit mixed since joining the team in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in 2023. There was no question that Vodniks stuff was electric, but his command was a bit shaky, and there were inconsistencies that made it hard to always rely on him late in games, especially in 2026. In 33 games this season, Vodnik has a 5.25 ERA over 36 innings with 26 strikeouts and 19 walks. Oddly enough, Vodniks splits were relatively close between home and away, with him being better at Coors Field in some cases. 2025 was the true showcase of what Vodnik can do when he posted a 3.02 ERA in 52 appearances and finished 35 games. Norby was a second-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2021, and he debuted with the Os briefly in 2024 before getting traded to the Marlins. He has settled into mostly a utility infield role with the Marlins, primarily playing both corner infield positions. Offensively, he is batting .205/.313/.325 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 65 games with the Marlins. He has been in Triple-A since the end of June and found some better footing, batting .265/.365/.482 with four home runs in 23 games. May is the more intriguing piece of this deal as he is ranked as the Marlins No. 27 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Featuring a sinker-slider profile, there are some things to like about his pitching make-up and ability to attack hitters. The 23-year-old has a 3.80 ERA in 18 starts in High-A this season, but there is work to do on refining his command. In 68.2 innings, he has 58 strikeouts, but has given up 24 walks. But he does well to limit hard contact, gets ground balls, and keeps the ball in the yard. Takeaway: I cant help but think of the Seth Halvorsen trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers that the Rockies made a few weeks ago and compare it to this one. In that trade, the Rockies got a pair of intriguing pieces with plenty of upside. Norby feels like a lateral move of players that the Rockies have had on their roster all season, while May has some upside, but there is a lot of work still to do. Vodnik is a solid arm with several more years of control that will handle some big spots for the Marlins. Its a solid deal for the Marlins, but this move will need a little more time to marinate before the grade can fully be solidified. Overall Grade: C+While the trades the Rockies made were fairly solid across the board and acquired several pitchers, its what they didnt do that drags down the grade. The team decided to hold onto Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy, and Brennan Bernardino, all of whom fit needs for contending teams across the league. The team didnt address the pitching depth concerns enough, nor did the logjam to make room for players keep cleared up. Rockies prospects like Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) and Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) are tearing it up in Triple-A, but their path is still blocked because of what is already on the major league roster.Its understandable why the Rockies retained Michael Lorenzen, Kyle Freeland, and Tomoyuki Sugano ( ), as the team still needs starting pitchers. None of the three exactly have the greatest trade value in the world either. But teams were interested in Ryan Feltner, and that could have been a move that would have been beneficial.There is also a question of Hunter Goodman. The Rockies had a high price for teams to acquire him, and its a price that many seemed to balk at, especially with their concerns about his defense. Considering the handful of highly-ranked pitching prospects the Orioles got from the Boston Red Sox in a deal for Adley Rutschman, I cant help but feel a little jealous that something like that couldnt be on the table for Colorado. For the first trade deadline under a new front office, there were things that felt quite familiar, and overall it was a bit underwhelming. FanDuel Sportsbook OddsAs expected, the needle didnt move at all for the Rockies in the betting odds. For the chance of making the playoffs, winning the division, or making/winning the World Series, FanDuel Sportsbooks betting odds remain at +10000 for each category.Join the conversation!Sign up for a user accountand get:Fewer adsCreatecommunity postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!Brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
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