Following a year in which his team exceeded expectations by winning a National League Wild Card bid, Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black knows this will be an important offseason. Key players in Colorado’s 2017 run are free agents, while talented young prospects — some who have already proven themselves at the major league level — are knocking at the door to be significant contributors to his ballclub.
Black is in Orlando, along with other Rockies top brass, for the annual MLB Winter Meetings and spoke with the media about his success in his first year at the helm in Colorado and how his team is taking shape for 2018.
Competing in a division that sent three teams to the playoffs in 2017, Black knows just how important it was for longtime Rockies to finally make it to the postseason and how new additions helped guide those players who hadn’t been there before.
Black credited his team’s success to meeting expectations on offense and exceeding them with a group of rookie starting pitchers and a strong bullpen. Team defense continued to be a strength, and he wants to see his team improve their walk-to-strikeout ratios in the year ahead.
But with key players like outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, first baseman Mark Reynolds, catcher Jonathan Lucroy, closer Greg Holland, and relievers Jake McGee and Pat Neshek (who has already signed with Philadelphia) hitting free agency, Black knows that his club next season could have a very different makeup.
Colorado’s first big move this offseason was to re-acquire catcher Chris Iannetta, who spent his first six seasons with the Rockies.
Iannetta appeared in 89 games for the Diamondbacks in 2017, helping guide them to the top NL Wild Card spot. The veteran batted .254, the best average of his career since leaving Colorado in 2012.
Black believes Iannetta, who turns 35 in April, is a great fit returning to the club. He says the catcher has improved defensively since his first time with the Rockies and that his experience and knowledge is going to be great for the club’s young starters. Black hasn’t set a number on expected starts for Iannetta, but says the veteran is capable of carrying the load behind the plate.
As Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich continues to build a roster for 2018, Black is encouraged by the versatility last year’s big free agent acquisition, Ian Desmond, provides. Desmond started games at four different positions last year and gives Bridich flexibility to make moves in free agency across the diamond.
Desmond could get the call at first base or in the outfield next season, pending the outcome of Gonzalez and Reynolds’ free agency. However, the young players Colorado has at those positions, plus Desmond’s versatility, won’t force Bridich into any hasty moves.
Outfielder David Dahl showed in 2016 that he is a legitimate big-league talent, but an injury that cost him all of 2017 is Black’s chief concern heading into this year. Dahl has to get healthy, Black says. But knowing they have depth with Dahl and speedster Raimel Tapia allows them to be smart about moves. Black cited last year’s rookie pitchers as examples of guys who can come up and make a difference right away. Dahl and Tapia could do the same, as could first baseman Ryan McMahon.
McMahon still developing, Black says, but he put up big numbers in Triple-A that suggest he could be ready for the jump to the majors. The skipper believes McMahon has the skill on both sides of the ball to be there; he just needs repetition, especially on defense.
McMahon hit just .158 in 24 plate appearances with the big club last year, but hit a combined .355 with 20 home runs between Double- and Triple-A. Long-term, Black wants McMahon’s bat in the lineup.
Colorado has a strong lineup returning with MVP candidates Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, Gold Glove winner and 2016 batting champion DJ LeMahieu, and veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra. Black’s young rotation will enter 2018 with confidence and valuable experience gained last year. With just a few additions defensively and another strong offseason to shore up the bullpen, Colorado should be back in the mix in the tough NL West.
Black understands, though, that the bar has been raised after making the playoffs. He also knows there are heightened expectations on him based on his longevity in the game. Seeing three playoff managers relieved of their duties this offseason “makes your head spin,” Black says, but he realizes it’s part of the game for clubs that expect to win.
That’s the expectation now at Coors Field, and Black and Bridich are hard at work in Orlando to keep the winning going.
