The Colorado Rockies have, once again, fallen off the pace in the NL West standings. At the time of writing, the Rockies have posted a meager 33-55 record, which isn't only “good” for worst in the NL West, but the entire NL. Thus, with trade season fast approaching, one would think that the Rockies will be listening to trade overtures for players who could end up being contributors on teams with contending aspirations.

And according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, a few of the Rockies' relievers have drawn major interest in the lead-up to the August 1 trade deadline. Among their relievers, three of them have “garnered the most interest”, with those three being southpaws Brent Suter and Brad Hand, along with right-hander Pierce Johnson.

Suter, according to Saunders, has been the reliever that has piqued the most interest from other teams, even though he's currently on the injured list with an oblique injury. The 33-year old reliever's success with the Rockies has been a thing to behold. Even though he's never had the best fastball, which comes at an astounding average velocity in the mid-80s, he has still managed to get hitters out by suppressing hard contact.

The rate with which Brent Suter allows home runs may not be sustainable in the long run, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio isn't great, but the veteran clearly knows how to sequence his pitches. And this knowhow of how to maximize his repertoire should make him a great addition for any team in need of more bullpen depth, even though he'll be hitting free agency after the season.

Meanwhile, Brad Hand may be a higher upside play for contending teams, given his strong strikeout rate. Alas, Hand hasn't quite been able to prevent runs from crossing to the plate as much as he has during his peak. Perhaps a move out of the Rockies and out of Coors Field would help him — and for a club option of $7 million next season, he may end up being a bargain if he figures it out.

Pierce Johnson, he of the 6.49 ERA, may be more of a shot in the dark — but his peripherals certainly point to better days, perhaps away from the Rockies organization.