What has Troy Johnston brought to the Rockies, and might he be a trade option?

With the MLB trade deadline of August 3 fast approaching, it’s worth taking a moment to consider players the on the Colorado Rockies roster that might attractive to contending teams looking to strengthen their rosters before making a playoff run.

While most of the attention has (rightfully) gone to catcher Hunter Goodman, and there are rumors that the Houston Astros might be interested in OF Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy, Johnston is yet another player to consider in terms of a trade scenario.

As a reminder, Johnston was a player the Rockies claimed from the Miami Marlins late in 2025 during that hazy time when there was no real front office as the Rockies made their decision to hire Paul DePodesta.

With that in mind, I thought I’d start by considering what he has brought to the Rockies so far and then weigh whether another team might be interested.

Offensive skills

In terms of offense, Johnston has been a consistent clutch hitter. He’s currently slashing .301/.374/.417 (108 wRC+) in 314 plate appearances. He has hit three homers and stolen four bases. In addition, Johnston has a respectable 9.2% BB% and a 16.9% K% – on the Rockies, only TJ Rumfield has a lower K%.

Now to Johnston’s splits.

He is significantly better against RHP (129 wRC+) than LHP (36 wRC+). However, he has not experienced significant home-road splits, which is notable. While Johnston has a 111 wRC+ at Coors, that number drops to 104 on the road, which is still above average.

He was well above average for the Rockies in the first three months of the season (Mar/April 115 wRC+; May 101 wRC+; June 127 wRC+), but that number has declined dramatically in July (55 wRC+).

Now consider Johnston’s leverage index. In a low-leverage situation, he’s earned an 84 wRC+; in a medium-leverage situation, that number increases to 119; and in a high-leverage situation, that number balloons to 173. In other words, he tends to come through when he’s needed.

With that in mind, here’s how Johnston compares to his MLB peers.

His .301 batting average ties him for eighth in MLB with fellow Rockie Jake McCarthy and Philadelphia Phillie Brandon Marsh. Add to that his OBP is ranked 27th in baseball. A 0.66 Clutch score lands him at 36th in MLB. (Interestingly enough, he is behind McCarthy’s 1.44 and Kyle Karros’ 0.79.)

In short, during his time with the Rockies, Troy Johnston has proven himself an effective bat off the bench.

Defensive skills

Surely, part of what attracted the Rockies to Johnston was his defensive versatility given that the lefty can play both first base and a corner outfield spot.

However, his effectiveness at those positions is a separate matter.

In terms of his outfield defense, Johnston has played 443.2 innings in the outfield, including 166.2 in left field and 277.0 in right. In left field, he has 1 DRS and an OAA of 0. By contrast, in right field, Johnston’s DRS is a terrifying -5 with -2 OAA.

So he has not been an especially effective outfielder.

The numbers are better at first, but not much. The Rockies have played him for 101.0 innings at 1B, and his DRS there is -2. So it’s better than his RF DRS, but neither is especially good.

In other words, while Johnston brings defensive versatility, a quality the Rockies like, it is less valuable than his bat.

People skills

Not all fans agree about “good clubhouse guys.” Myself, I’m a believer. Baseball players spend a lot of time around each other, and keeping things light can be a challenge, especially for a team that loses as much as the Rockies have over the last four seasons.

Johnston, however, is perennially cheerful when interacting with his teammates. It is not unusual for Johnston to interrupt an interview to ask, “How did you get so handsome?” which generally leads to laughs all around.

Does this have anything to do with his baseball numbers?

Not at all, but it’s an intangible that is valuable to teams.

Looking forward

That, then, raises the question of whether other teams might be interested in trading for Johnston.

As a reminder, he is making league minimum ($782,000), has three MiLB options, and will not become a free agent until 2032.

Still, the answer to the question is probably not. If there’s a left-handed batter on the Rockies rosters teams will be interested in, that’s got to be Jake McCarthy or Mickey Moniak. It hasn’t helped Johnston’s case that he’s not been good in July. If I were a gambling person (which I am not), I would expect Johnston to finish his season with the Rockies.

And, frankly, that’s a good thing. He’s shown his offensive value, and when the Rockies begin promoting prospects (hello, Charlie Condon and Zac Veen!), Johnston would provide the kind of mentorship young players need.

Whatever happens, the Rockies made a good move in claiming Troy Johnston.

Closing thoughts

That’s it for this week.

Apologies for missing the last two weeks. This summer has not played out the way in which I had planned. (It has been a while since I’ve had a summer that’s kept me as busy as this one.)

Now with the MLB draft and All-Star Break in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look to the trade deadline.

Stay tuned.

As always, thanks for reading —

Renee

Rockies Pitch is a newsletter that focuses on Colorado Rockies baseball.

Find me on Bluesky at @ReneeDechert.com or send an email to Renee@RockiesPitch.com