Here’s an overview of the Colorado Rockies offseason and some of their Spring Training storylines to look out for.
The Colorado Rockies are a team who have not been back to the playoffs since 2018. In 2022 they sat at the bottom of the NL West with a record of 68-94. As a budget-conscious organization, here is how they have attempted to once again play October baseball.
Free Agent Additions/Extensions
Pierce Johnson, RP, one-year deal
Jose Urena, SP, one-year deal
Brad Hand, RP, one-year deal
Mike Moustakas, INF, minors deal
Departures
Carlos Estevez, RP
Jose Iglesias, SS
Scott Oberg, RP
Stephen Cardullo, OF
Offseason Grade: F
For a team that finished last in the NL West and tied for the sixth worst record in MLB, this is not what fans want to see.
Unfortunately the Colorado Rockies are one MLB team that refuses to dish out money. That makes it hard to find any positives to their offseason.
Their biggest loss could be considered Jose Iglesias. Last year he ranked sixth in hits and at-bats for the Rockies and seventh in RBIs. For a team that already ranked in the middle of the pack in offensive production, his exit could be a big blow.
Jose Urena was a player who sported a 5.14 ERA in Colorado last year which just simply isn’t good enough, even taking the stadium into account.
Even Pierce Johnson won’t blow teams out of the water. In 2022 he had a 5.02 ERA which could become even worse playing in Colorado.
In today’s game it is hard to see any team that is so frugal with their money have success. For that reason, the Colorado Rockies get an F for their offseason.
Spring Training Headlines
Prospects
Since the Rockies don’t spend much, most of their talent is homegrown. Luckily, they will have three prospects in the Top 100 list in attendance at Spring Training.
Those three are Ezequiel Tovar, Zac Veen, and Drew Romo. With Tovar having already seen time in the majors, it would be great to see improvement from him.
Tovar profiles as an ultra-athletic shortstop who could be a defensive anchor. With the ban of the shift, athletic infielders will be a historically important factor.
Romo and Veen both have ETA’s of 2024, so keep an eye out for two players who could have impacts at the MLB level very soon.
Bryant Bounce Back
Just last year,Kris Bryant signed one of the largest contracts in Rockies history with seven-years $182 million.
In his first season he played in only 42 games with 160 at bats. That certainly not something the Rockies want to see in a player they’ve invested so much in.
With many reports of the nagging foot injury coming to an end, there is hope around the league to see him play much more.
Considering he is a career .279/.376/.503 player, four time All-Star, and former MVP, the Rockies could very much use that boost.
Projected 26-Man Roster
Lineup/Bench
Catcher: Elias Diaz
First Base: C.J. Cron
Second Base: Brendan Rodgers
Shortstop: Ezequiel Tovar
Third Base: Ryan McMahon
Left Field: Kris Bryant
Center Field: Yonathan Daza
Right Field: Nolan Jones
Designated Hitter: Charlie Blackmon
Bench: Harold Castro, Brian Serven, Alan Trejo, Elehuris Montero
Starting Rotation
1. German Marquez
2. Kyle Freeland
3. Jose Urena
4. Austin Gomber
5. Connor Seabold
Bullpen
1. Brent Suter
2. Nick Mears
3. Ty Blach
4. Justin Lawrence
5. Dinelson Lamet
6. Brad Hand
7. Pierce Johnson
8. Daniel Bard
Rockies Season Prediction
The Rockies look like they will continue to stay at the bottom of the NL West. This is a team that will be lucky to get close to a .500 record.
I do expect to see a good amount of help from their younger players that get called up. With 10 of their top 20 prospects having MLB ETA’s of 2023 or 2024, we could see lots of youth coming in for the Rockies.
Last year the Rockies had the worst team ERA in the league at 5.08. I do not expect much to change on that front with minimal talent coming in to help this year.
With the spending habits of the Rockies not seeming to change, it could be a while until we see them back in the postseason.
