MLB trade rumors: Rockies interested in Marlins' AJ Ramos

As Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes in his most recent mailbag, the Rockies are hoping to add relief depth and are interested in Marlins closer AJ Ramos. Saunders also mentions that the Marlins have been scouting the Rockies' minor-league system recently.

Ramos is perhaps the best reliever available on the trade market this summer, as he has been Miami's closer for the better part of three seasons now and possesses a spectacular 2.75 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He made the NL All-Star team for the first time in 2016, posting a 2.81 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP and 40 saves over 67 games. He's taken a small step back this year, as he's got a 3.51 ERA through 33.1 innings. His 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings are encouraging, but his 4.9 walks per nine are a bit concerning.

Regardless, the 30-year-old right-hander still has great value, as he's making a reasonable $6.55 million this season and has another year of arbitration remaining before he becomes a free agent following the 2018 season.

The Rockies already have an All-Star closer in Greg Holland, who currently leads the majors with 28 saves and has posted a strong 1.62 ERA and 1.02 WHIP this season, so Ramos would likely be relegated to a setup role with Colorado. And while lefties Chris Rusin and Jake McGee have been very good out of the Rockies' bullpen this season, they could definitely use the extra depth, as veterans Adam Ottavino and Mike Dunn have struggled significantly after being expected to fill high-leverage roles coming into the season.

In addition to the depth that Ramos would provide down the stretch for the Rockies, he'd also give them an in-house successor to Holland if the veteran closer declines his $15 million player option for 2018.