Rockies May Need to Make Room for Hot-Hitting Outfield Prospect Soon

Every prospect meets a moment, that moment when their play demands they be promoted. For the Colorado Rockies, they may be facing that moment with an outfield prospect.

And, no, it’s not Charlie Condon, who can also play first base.

The hottest hitting outfielder at Triple-A Albuquerque is Cole Carigg, who was slashing .367/.425/.540 with three home runs and 28 RBI in his first 35 games. He also had seven doubles and four triples. He’s also stolen an incredible 22 bases.

The goal this season for Colorado has been to “raise the floor,” in the words of president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta. That means making young players like Carigg earn their shot at the Majors. So, at what point will Carigg have earned it?

Is Decision Time Coming for Cole Carigg?

Carigg’s time at Triple-A is part of the equation. This is his first year at the Rockies’ top affiliate. Last season he played the entire year at Double-A Hartford with a slash of .237/.316/.394      with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. He also stole 46 bases. Most Major League teams like to give hitters a full year at Triple-A before considering a call-up.

But what if Carigg keeps up this pace? He’s never finished a full minor league season batting better than .300. But he doesn’t have to hit like this to get in the mix. He must remain consistent. If he’s still a highly consistent a productive hitter by the end of June, barring injury, what does Colorado do then?

The Rockies carry six outfielders right now — Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle, Tyler Freeman, Troy Johnston, Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak. Freeman can flex into the infield while Willi Castro can flex into the outfield. Colorado has significant depth. Some of it is coveted by other teams.

Without an injury, Carigg’s most likely path to a Major League debut is if the Rockies decide to trade some of that depth. Last season both Doyle and Beck were rumored to be on the block but were never moved. Both were hitting .200 or below going into Sunday’s game with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Both have hit better in their careers. Doyle is a two-time Gold Glove winner. Beck is a former compensatory pick between the first and second rounds. Colorado can sell prospective trade partners on their talent yet to be tapped.

A deal like that would open space for Carigg to make the move to Denver at time of the year when the Rockies will likely be out of the NL West race but have enough talent to surround Carigg with the support system he needs to handle regular playing time.

If he continues to hit like this, Colorado may have to pull the trigger.  

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow