This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding’s Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Last year at this time, Rockies catcher Elias Díaz was celebrating being named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. A left calf strain that pushed Díaz out of the lineup for 16 games in June kept him from serious consideration for this year’s Midsummer Classic, but he has cause to be happy.

Díaz’s .286 batting average tops Rockies regulars. His 267 plate appearances represent a healthy enough number of turns to say he’s been a key lineup member. And his performance just may be good enough to be a ticket from a team with the National League’s second-worst record (34-63, a half-game better than the Marlins) and into a postseason race.

Díaz, who was hitting .304 before enduring a 2-for-21 road trip going into this year’s All-Star break, figures to be coveted by contending teams seeking catching help before the July 30 Trade Deadline. Díaz said he hasn’t talked to the front office about extending his expiring three-year, $14.5 million contract, but he is happy that his performance is benefitting the Rockies now -- and could help them gain more pieces for the future.

“I try to not think about any of that stuff because I can’t control any decision the front office makes,” Díaz said. “I feel pride in myself to be in this position.

“I like this team. This year we have Ryan McMahon [All-Star third baseman], a guy who plays every day, hard, and gives everything for the team. We’ve got Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle, and Michael Toglia is coming along. A lot of guys in this room are going to be good in the future.”

Colorado's second-half schedule, which begins on Friday night at home against the Giants, will be all about finding a path to a future that may not include Díaz, or a few other current Rockies.

Let’s preview the remainder of the season:

Second-half goal: Determine if the rebuild can be quickened
The Rockies' toughest decision may be whether to depart with a starting pitcher -- righty Cal Quantrill has the most trade value, but lefty Austin Gomber also is coveted -- because of how they could feel about their pitching at season’s end. The healthy and effective return of lefty Kyle Freeland and the heartening return of Germán Márquez, plus the rapid development of recently drafted pitchers Chase Dollander (Rockies' No. 1 prospect, No. 36 overall), Sean Sullivan (No. 13 prospect) and Carson Palmquist (No. 14 prospect) and a healthier list of prospects could have the Rockies feeling there is starting depth in 2025.

If the offense gains long-missing consistency -- again, there is a group of prospects either up or knocking on the door -- and the pitching is solid, it could lead to a little more aggression in the trade and free agent markets this winter.

Likely Trade Deadline strategy: Sell, but how much?
The Rockies could try to deal Díaz, thanks to the presence of veteran Jacob Stallings, the fact that rookie Hunter Goodman’s best position is catcher, and that two catching prospects at Triple-A Albuquerque are knocking on the door in Drew Romo (No. 9 prospect) and Willie MacIver. There will be interest in lefty Jalen Beeks, who has struggled as a closer but has held lefties to .176 average in 59 plate appearances.

Then there are tough decisions, potentially on second baseman Brendan Rodgers, Quantrill and Gomber. Rodgers is most likely to go, and he is hitting well enough since returning from a left hamstring strain on June 22 to attract interest. It’s hard to move away from pitching, but the Rockies will look at trading Quantrill or Gomber only if they can score a deal like they did in January 2016, when they acquired an almost-MLB-ready Márquez from the Rays. Veteran Charlie Blackmon (.933 OPS in 10 games in July) got hot before the break, but he has said a key factor in approving a trade to a contender is whether the deal truly helps the Rockies.

Key player: OF Jordan Beck
The Rockies believe Beck can have a major impact, and he demonstrated enough power (two homers, four doubles), speed and defense to get regular starts despite his .190 average in 81 plate appearances before he sustained a broken left hand on May 25. Beck has been rehabbing in Arizona, and it’s expected that he’ll be back in Colorado's lineup when healthy.

The Rockies have received impact from several young players -- Tovar, Doyle and (from a power standpoint) Toglia. Beck’s presence makes for a competitive outfield situation, as Nolan Jones tries to shake back injuries and regain his 2023 form while Sean Bouchard and Goodman (when not catching) try to forge places for themselves.

Prospect to watch: LHP Carson Palmquist
Palmquist has posted desirable numbers with Double-A Hartford this season -- 98 strikeouts compared to 30 walks in 69 innings over 15 starts, a 1.17 WHIP and 0.8 home runs allowed per nine innings. The Rockies have kept him in Double-A to improve the consistency of each of his pitches and to make sure he’s holding up well physically. They were in no hurry to promote him to Triple-A Albuquerque. But it wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility for him to get a few innings in the Pacific Coast League before making his Major League debut, or even getting promoted straight from Hartford. In 2021, the Rockies had righty Ryan Feltner skip Albuquerque and make his MLB debut in September.