FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the Colorado Rockies “almost certainly would consider trading [Matt] Holliday,” their left fielder and runner-up in NL MVP voting last season. They would be smart to trade him if they feel they have no shot at winning the NL West. However, if the Rockies win three of their next five games starting tonight, that would leave them at 18-27, exactly where they were after 45 games last season when they went on to win the NL pennant.

Simply put, Matt Holliday is overrated. He’s a product of hitter-friendly Coors Field, as shown by his home/road splits:

2004: 1.009 OPS home; .654 OPS road.

2005: 1.002 OPS home; .729 OPS road.

2006: 1.132 OPS home; .819 OPS road.

2007: 1.157 OPS home; .860 OPS road.

2008: 1.137 OPS home; .774 OPS road.

Career: 1.090 OPS home; .780 OPS road.

Granted, he improved each season from 2005 to ’07, but he is simply not as good as his overall numbers indicate. His batting average is ninety points higher at home and two-thirds of his home runs have come at Coors Field despite having nearly identical plate appearances at home and on the road (1,265 and 1,260, respectively).

The Rockies are deep in prospects and if they feel that 2008 is a lost cause, it would behoove them to move Holliday, collect a ransom of prospects, and see if they can strike lightning in a bottle. It’s highly unlikely that the Rockies will have the means – much less the desire – to sign Holliday to a contract after the 2009 season. If they keep Holliday through 2009, they will only receive only compensatory draft picks from the team that signs him as a free agent. Holliday is much more valuable to the Rockies by being a trading chip than by giving them two years of offense and a couple of draft picks when he jets to free agency.

Last season, the Rockies had the second-best offense in the National League (thanks in part to Holliday) behind the Philadelphia Phillies. Their offense hasn’t been nearly as good this season due to a slow start and eventual injury to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, and a surprising lack of power from first baseman Todd Helton and right fielder Brad Hawpe. Assuming that their lack of offense so far is aberrant, they can withstand the loss of Matt Holliday and his 130-160 OPS+.

What the Rockies really need to compete this season is pitching, as the pitchers they counted on last season that returned (Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Franklin Morales) have been failures. The trio have put up an ERA+ 73, 83, and 71, respectively. Additionally, their great closer from last season, Manny Corpas, has flopped and they had to re-promote Brian Fuentes to the closer’s role.

Rosenthal cites the Indians, Cardinals, Yankees, Athletics, Tigers, Blue Jays, Mariners, and Mets as potential teams interested in Holliday’s services. The Yankees, obviously, would be the best business partner for the Rockies because they have the least payroll woes, the most demand to make a noteworthy transaction, and a farm system deep enough to be intriguing.

Regardless of which team ends up acquiring Holliday, the Rockies will have made a move extremely beneficial to the franchise even if it doesn’t help their chances of earning a playoff berth in 2008. A Holliday trade sets them up very well for the future.