Report: Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez open to a trade

The veteran outfielder is having another strong season for Colorado as we head toward the non-waiver trade deadline

Veteran Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who thanks to his contract and the Rockies' ongoing non-contention is a bit of a chronic trade candidate, has done a fine job of re-establishing his value.

After a disappointing and injury-compromised 2014 season, CarGo last year batted .271/.325/.540 (114 OPS+) with a career-high 40 homers, including 16 away from Coors Field. Along the way, Gonzalez played in 153 games. This season, he's played in all but three games while along the way hitting .319/.368/.556 (124 OPS+) with 18 home runs. The 30-year-old Gonzalez also no longer embodies such a hefty financial commitment: he's owed the balance of a $17 million salary for this season and then $20 million for 2017, the final year of his contract.

All of that leads us to this report by Jon Heyman of FanRagSports:

Word is that in a recent meeting with team higher-ups, Gonzalez expressed an interest in going elsewhere (Rockies GM Jeff Bridich said he would keep all those conversations "private"), and the Rockies will likely float not one but two outfield stars ...

One of those outfielders is Gonzalez, and Heyman's story name-checks the second. As for the "meeting," Heyman added this bit of clarification on Twitter:

Clarification: while Cargo is frustrated and amenable to a trade, there wasn't a recent meeting.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 7, 2016

Needless to say, Gonzalez should have appeal on the market leading up to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, especially if the Rockies are willing to kick in some cash. Eyeball potential contenders, and teams like the Red Sox, White Sox, Indians (depending on Michael Brantley's status), and Orioles could have interest.