Baseball is currently in its most awkward of stages. The Hot Stove has just about cooled off and Opening Day is still a few months away.
The Colorado Rockies have done some nice things this offseason, including splashes in the hiring of Bud Black, the singing of 1b/OF Ian Desmond and the addition of Mike Dunn to the bullpen.
While the moves the team has made to this point are solid, there are definitely some holes that still need to be filled if this team’s dreams of reaching the postseason are to become reality.
Three holes in particular are glaring for the Rockies, and with 2017 finally here I think it’s time to take a look at the different questions that need to be answered before pitchers and catchers report.
1. Who’s on first?
When the Colorado Rockies signed Ian Desmond to a lucrative five-year, $70 million dollar contract the baseball world was taken aback. The Rockies intend on using the 31-year-old at first base despite the fact that he has never played an out at the position in his professional career.
Sure, the Rockies could take a chance with Desmond manning fist base, but you have to think that the team will review other options both internally and externally.
After signing Desmond, the Rockies continued to keep tabs on big-name first basemen such as Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo, indicating that they could still be in the hunt for another first baseman.
Encarnacion is now off the market, but Trumbo is still available with no real market for his talents. His former team, the Baltimore Orioles, had interest in brining back the slugger, but have reportedly pulled their offer.
So, if the Rockies wanted to pull the trigger on another 30+ home run candidate and bolster their infield, they have the opportunity to do so.
Trumbo aside, there are a couple other players who could run the show for the Rockies at first at some point in the season.
Mark Reynolds is a guy the Rockies could bring back for another go-around if they pleased. Reynolds hit .282 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs with the Rox last season, and could continue to be a veteran presence for this relatively young Rox squad.
Other solid, affordable options include guys like Chris Carter and James Loney – well-tenured players that still have a little pop in their bats along with the ability to play a solid first base.
Carter cranked the ball last season, hitting 44 bombs while driving in 94 runs. He’s just 30 years old, and is another candidate who does not really have a strong market for his services, meaning the Rox could snag him at a bargain price for a yearlong rental.
Loney is another guy who could help the Rockies. He has experience in the NL West, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the early part of his career, and is coming off a decent 2016 season with the New York Mets, hitting .265 with nine longballs and 34 RBIs.
Any way you put it, the Rockies have options.
Trumbo would beef up an already stacked lineup, Reynolds would keep things consistent like he did last year, and Carter and Loney could be valuable one-year rentals as a security blanket if the Demsond experiment does not work out.
The club has had some time to review their options internally, but a season-long decision at first place needs to be made sooner rather than later.
2. Who’s the closer?
The Rockies bullpen was an absolute disappointment this past season, ranking last in the majors with an ERA of 5.13.
They have a pair of guys in Adam Ottavino and Carlos Estevez that showed promise, but need more than a couple of arms to fix this problem.
The signing of Mike Dunn was a start, but it is not enough. This is the Rockies Achilles heel. A lot of their season depends on fixing this problem, a problem with this team basically since their founding.
Reports indicate that they have ‘checked in’ on pitcher Greg Holland. This would be a great signing for a team that had little to no consistency at the back end of games last season.
Holland was an All-Star in 2013 and ’14, recording 47 and 46 saves in those seasons, compiling a career ERA of 2.42. He’s coming off Tommy John surgery; however, he is progressing along nicely in rehab.
A proven stopper like Holland would be a critical addition for the Rox. Throw him in there with what is expected to be a rejuvenated Otto and Estevez, and you may have a solid 1-2-3 punch in the ‘pen.
Holland aside, there are still a few relievers out there the Rockies could take a chance on.
Over the years the Rockies have taken risks on aging vets, with the most recent being Jason Motte.
If they please, they could do the same this offseason. A couple of once-durable, aging relief pitchers on the market are Matt Albers and Sergio Romo. Both have experience that could prove to be critical if they have bounceback seasons.
Other enticing options include Travis Wood and Joe Blanton, both of which are tenured arms coming off solid 2016 seasons.
Bottom line, the Rockies need to beef up their bullpen if they want to have any chance of making a run to the postseason, and the sooner the better to allow themselves to tinker with their arsenal by Spring Training rather than the regular season.
3. Is there room for all those outfielders?
The Rockies have a serious logjam in the outfield. Take Ian Desmond out of the equation and they still have four suitable, everyday outfielders on the roster.
Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez will man two of those spots, forcing the Rox to play devil’s advocate and choose between youngster David Dahl and vet Gerardo Parra for the final spot. Oh, and sprinkle in some time for Desmond here and there.
There is an obvious problem, and I think you can point the finger at which player will get the short end of the stick.
David Dahl impressed in the big league action he saw last season, hitting .315 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs. Meanwhile, Gerardo Parra struggled, hitting a measly .253 with seven home runs and 39 RBI’s.
Dahl’s promise may be to much for the Rockies to pass on, meaning a reduced role for Parra may be in store.
The Rockies need to iron this problem out, because they can’t risk the development of Dahl at the luxury of playing a veteran coming off a down year.
Sure, they could opt to drag this out into Spring Training and put the job up for grabs if they truly believe Parra has a shot, but there are other ways they could utilize Parra.
He dabbled at first base last season, so they could opt to use him in a super-utility role. They could also opt to trade him in an attempt to find help in other areas such as first base or the bullpen.
Parra will be entering the second year of the three-year contract he signed with the team prior to last season. He has a club option for the following year, giving the Rockies the choice to hold onto a him and find a role for him this the season, or flip him for a added help.
Consistency is something most postseason teams have, and the Rockies need to work to attain that.
Closing Thoughts
The Rockies have high expectations. Arguably the highest they have been since the 2008 season. They have the talent to compete this year; however, if they truly want to put their names on the map and attempt to become serious contenders in the National League they need to answer these questions.
General manager Jeff Bridich has shown this offseason that he is willing to be aggressive to get players he thinks will build this team up. He’s done a solid job at that, but there are some essential holes in the Rockies roster that need to be patched up in order to really get this team moving in the direction of contention.
Pitchers and catcher report in mid February with Opening Day on the April 3. That should leave Bridich and Co. plenty of time to get things straightened out.