Rockies' New Prospect Ranked Highly Among Recent Players Dealt at Trade Deadline

Colorado Rockies new prospect was among the best traded this summer

Jun 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

As expected, the Colorado Rockies were active at the trade deadline, trying to move some desirable assets in return for prospects.

It has been a historically poor season for the Rockies, who have the worst record in baseball and could dethrone the 2024 Chicago White Sox for most losses in a year.

With two months to go in Colorado, they will be trying to get some of their younger players some playing time in the Majors and hopefully see some positive developments from them.

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However, while the team will be rebuilding for the next couple of campaigns at least, they will be hoping to expedite that process with some of the new prospects they acquired.

Of the trades the Rockies made, the two most notable came with the New York Yankees. In the first, they sent third baseman Ryan McMahon to New York. At the deadline, they followed up that trade with another one that sent right-handed relief pitcher Jake Bird to the Yankees.

Due to Bird being a relief pitcher under team control at an affordable number, the return from New York was slightly better. One of the prospects that they received for Bird is a talented infield prospect.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN recently wrote about the best prospects that were traded at the deadline. For the Rockies, new addition Roc Riggio came in ranked 12th in the 45 FV tier.

“Riggio has improved his defense and contact ability since college (he was a fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2023), but still has the power-and-patience that he's been showing scouts for years.”

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Across three different levels of the minors for the Yankees this year, Riggio has slashed .264/.370/.567 with 18 home runs and 45 RBI in 62 games played. These are some impressive numbers for the young slugger, and he has been a quick riser in New York’s farm system.

MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the 11th best prospect in the system for the Rockies after the trade, with a potential ETA of 2026.

As he comes over to Colorado’s farm system, it will be interesting to see if he can continue to rise like he has with the Yankees.

Currently, as a second baseman, he provides a lot of power, and he has seen his batting average improve significantly compared to the 2024 campaign.

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With the 23-year-old consistently showing signs of improvement, there is reason to believe that he could potentially be a contributor for the Rockies as early as next season. If that ends up being the case, it will have been a good return for Bird.

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