Holliday Trade Working for the Rockies

Carlos Gonzalez had a breakout 2010 season, winning the NL Batting title and leading the NL with 197 hits

On November 12, 2008, approximately 13 months removed from winning their first pennant in franchise history, the Colorado Rockies traded one of the biggest pieces of that 2007 run, Matt Holliday.  Holliday was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for closer Huston Street, and prospects Greg Smith and Carlos Gonzalez.  The trade came at no shock, after a season of speculation and trade rumors surrounding the all-star left fielder.  It was, however, the trade of someone who had become one of the most poplular baseball players in Denver.

Holliday made his major league debut in 2004, 6 years after being drafted directly out of high school.  He would appear in 121 games, putting up a respectable .290/.349/.837 to go along with 14 HR and 57 RBI, good enough for 5th in the NL rookie of the year voting.  After a season of improvement in 2005, Holliday broke out as an elite Major League player in 2006.  It was that season that he earned his first All-star appearance after a first half where he hit .334 with a .974 OPS, leading up to a season where he set career highs in virtually every category, hitting 45 doubles, 34 HR, 114 RBI as well as .326/.387/.973.

In 2007, Holliday was arguably the MVP, having a monster year, winning the NL batting crown leading the league in hits, doubles, RBI, and total bases.  Holliday was 14 homers shy of the triple crown, as well as one of 7 players to finish the season with an OPS higher than 1.  Of course what Holliday was best known for from 2007 was the role he played in the historic run the Rockies made to the World Series, going 12-1 in the final 13 games of the regular season, making the playoffs with a one-game playoff victory over division rival San Diego.  In those 13 games, Holliday hit .442/.532/1.378 with 5 HR and 17 RBI.  He wouldn't slow down in the playoffs either, hitting 5 HRs and 10 RBI over 11 games, propeling the Rockies to their first World Series, eventually losing to Boston.  Holliday finished second in the NL MVP voting to the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins.

In 2008, injuries slowed Holliday, limiting him to 139 games, though he still hit .321/.409/.947 to go along with 25 HR and 88 RBI.  He also won his third consecutive Silver Slugger and was made his third consecutive All-Star appearance.  His .409 OBP was a career high.  Following the season, Holliday was traded.

The big question is, How bad has Holliday been missed in the Mile High City?

The answer: not much.  Despite a slow 2009 start, the Rockies ran away with the NL West Division title, getting back to the playoffs just 10 1/2 months removed from trading away the face of their franchise (Don't worry, I didn't forget about Helton).  In 2010, the team struggled through some injuries to key players, but still managed to go 83-79, 8 games out of a playoff spot, coming within a game of first place on September 18 before losing 13 of their final 14 to end the season.

They have also gotten key contributions from the two biggest pieces of the trade, Huston Street and Carlos Gonzalez.  Street has been solid in the back of the bullpen, saving 55 games and posting a .972 WHIP in 108 appearances for Colorado.  Carlos Gonzalez, a big name prospect at the time of the trade, brokeout in 2010, winning the NL batting title as well as leading the NL in hits, with 197.  He came within 4 stolen bases of being the lone 30-30 guy in the majors in 2010.

Holliday is now playing in St. Louis, hitting behind Albert Pujols, after signing a 7-year, $120 million contract in 2010.  The Rockies enter the 2011 season as a favorite to make it back to the playoffs for the 2nd time since the post-Holliday era began in 2009.  Its safe to say that neither side is kicking themselves over this trade that occured in 2008.