Guardians Take a Flyer on OF Nolan Jones in Trade With Rockies

The Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Guardians agreed to a trade Saturday that will send OF Nolan Jones to Cleveland in exchange for UTL Tyler Freeman. With less than a week before the regular season begins for 28 teams, both squads are looking to shake things up.

Jones is headed back to the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He made his Major League debut with the Guardians in 2022, and appeared in 28 games. After the season, he was shipped to Colorado for IF Juan Brito. Jones didn’t make Colorado’s Opening Day roster in 2023, but debuted for his new club in May of that season.

It ended up being a stellar rookie campaign for the power-hitting outfielder. In just 106 games, Jones registered 20 HR, 20 SB, and slashed .297/.389/.542. His 4.3WAR ranked 12th among primary outfielders. He finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, New York’s Kodai Senga, and Los Angeles’ James Outman (both Carroll and Outman played over 150 games).

Entering ’24, Jones was expected to play a big part in the middle of Colorado’s lineup. Injuries and inconsistencies at the plate ultimately derailed his season. Jones finished the year with a negative-WAR, and had just 3 HR in 79 games. After posting reverse-splits the year before, the left-handed Jones struggled mightily against southpaws in ’24 (.205 AVG, 32 K’s in 92 PA).

The Guardians are hoping that Jones can put a rough campaign behind him and provide a spark for a lineup that desperately needs it. Josh Naylor — the team’s second-best bat last year — was traded to Arizona back in December. Naylor had a career power year last season (31 HR), and was the only Guardian other than MVP candidate Jose Ramirez to mash more than 14 homers. The Guardians also lost 30 steals from last year when they traded Gold Glove infielder Andrés Giménez to the Blue Jays two weeks before the Naylor deal.

Jones’ combination of power, speed, and a solid glove would make him a perfect fit if he’s able to rebound. Additionally, Jones’ breakout 2023 campaign wasn’t completely fueled by playing at the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. His OPS was higher on the road (.935) than it was at Coors (.928) that year. This Spring, Jones is 11-for-47 (.234 AVG) and has yet to homer.

The Rockies are getting a versatile player in Freeman as compensation. The 25-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga has good speed and played center, second, third, and short for the Guardians last year. In 118 games in ’24, Freeman hit 7 HR with 11 SB, but managed a lousy .209 AVG with .626 OPS.

It’s another head-scratching move for a Colorado team that has continuously traded away their best talents. Jones is coming off an awful year at the plate, but the 26-year-old boasts far more upside than Freeman’s quiet bat.

This deal perfectly encapsulates two teams with low payrolls headed in completely opposite directions. The Guardians (24th) actually have a lower team payroll in 2025 than the Rockies (21st). However, Cleveland will be competing for a playoff spot while Colorado has already cemented itself as the fifth-best team in its own division. The Guardians taking a flyer on a high-upside bat while the Rockies give up on a promising young player after one bad season is exactly why these two teams are in their current positions.