Tuesday Rockpile: The coaching staff is almost complete

by Russ Oates on Nov 18, 2008 8:07 AM MST in Rockpile

Three of the four positions on the Rockies' coaching staff have been filled, though they'll all be announced at the same time. The bench coach will be:

via webzoom.freewebs.com

The bullpen coach will be:

via www.baseball-reference.com

The third base coach will be:

via www.baseball-almanac.com

The hitting coach, according to the article, has two candidates remaining: Don Baylor and Greg Colbrunn. Former bullpen coach Rick Mathews recently became a special assistant to Marc Gustafson, the Rockies' player development director.

Thomas Harding has a new mailbag up at the Official Site. One of the questions Harding answers is whether the Rockies should look into trading for the Florida Marlins' Dan Uggla. Harding doesn't think too much of it, and says the Rockies believe they have enough depth at the position with Barmes, Baker, Stewart, and possibly Chris Nelson. I'd also throw in Eric Young, Jr. as another part of possible 2009 depth at the position. But until we learn of Garrett Atkins' fate, Ian Stewart is floating around the diamond. Here he's still a possible candidate to play second base in some capacity, and straight from the mouth of Dan O'Dowd, Ian Stewart is a "very viable" candidate to take over the Matt Holliday-vacated spot in left field.

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Cool.

Yay Jim Tracy. Yay Don Baylor (maybe).

Also….how about Dontrelle Willis. I know he was a disaster this last year, but from rumors, he could come cheap. It sounds like Detroit is looking for a SS, which we’ve got about 2.6 million of. I don’t know enough about Willis at the current time, and he may be too broken to even bother losing Barmes/Quintanilla over.

by roxintober on Nov 18, 2008 8:11 AM MST reply actions

and Willis

has a VERY healthy contract as I recall and might want to move him just to dump the contract, as I recall reading that the Tigers wanted to lower their payroll to closer to 100 million. But if the Tigers would eat part of that contract, and take Q for him….well, that would be giving Willis away, and no one gives away starters with any value…..never mind.

Thought Clint Hurdle should be fired before it was cool.

by Redhawk on Nov 18, 2008 8:36 AM MST up reply actions

Bad bet on Willis

Even if he didn’t have a fat contract and decreasing skills. He lives on a high fastball, bad bet in Colorado.

by brainteaser on Nov 18, 2008 12:05 PM MST up reply actions

Yes looking at more...

It would be silly. He is owed 22 million next year. That’s too much for a ‘cheap’ trade to a possible pitcher in the rotation.

by roxintober on Nov 18, 2008 1:12 PM MST up reply actions

Atkins

Does that mean the Rockies will keep Atkins around? I mean we all assumed he was gone too with Stewart in the wings. Is this a back up plan for Helton’s back? or does this mean O’dud is just trying to up the value of Atkins by making it look like the Rockies could keep him around?

Would moving Stewart to either 2nd or LF hurt him fielding 3rd and hurt the Rockies fielding in left? I can see having to get his bat in the line up every day if Atkins stays.

Stewart is a lefty….could he pitch to one batter in the 7th or 8th inning?

Questions Questions Questions

Thought Clint Hurdle should be fired before it was cool.

by Redhawk on Nov 18, 2008 8:33 AM MST reply actions

+1

for

Stewart is a lefty….could he pitch to one batter in the 7th or 8th inning?

Aut Vincam Aut Periam

by PioneerSkies on Nov 18, 2008 2:06 PM MST up reply actions

?

He may hit from the left side… but he throws from the right.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lefty play 3rd before… can it even be done?

by roxhead on Nov 18, 2008 5:27 PM MST up reply actions

still...

Redhawk made a funny

Aut Vincam Aut Periam

by PioneerSkies on Nov 18, 2008 5:33 PM MST up reply actions

I've seen it

in softball. Very awkward looking…

by Teekalong on Nov 18, 2008 6:01 PM MST up reply actions

I'd rather O'Dowd reversed that, put Atkins in left and keep Stewart at third

That way we’d at least have the defensive upgrade where it matters most, but that would limit the AB’s of Spilborghs, who projects to have a better season than Garrett (at least according to Bill James and THT, Marcels doesn’t like Spilly for some reason).

by Rox Girl on Nov 18, 2008 8:36 AM MST reply actions

I imagine you're joking?

Atkins has the mobility of a wounded hippopotamus, he’d be a disaster in the OF. But I don’t get what O’Dowd’s going for here anyway, so search me.

Blast and botheration.

by Silverblood on Nov 18, 2008 10:53 AM MST up reply actions

About as much

of a disaster if Nick Johnson ever played Coors’ left field. Oh, wait. . . .

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by Russ Oates on Nov 18, 2008 11:11 AM MST up reply actions

If Adam Dunn can be considered an OF

Manny Ramirez, Nick Johnson as Russ mentions, any other number of players like this, than Garrett Atkins should fit right in. He’s doing a lot more damage to us at third than he would out there.

by Rox Girl on Nov 18, 2008 11:15 AM MST up reply actions

NL WEST

Who has a better 3b in the NL west than Atkins. Kouzmanoff maybe, but has never been known for the leather. LA…do they even have one? Arizona had Reynolds who was the worst fielding 3b in all the game last year. Frandsen for the Giants now that looks bad. There just aren’t a ton of good leather guys at third these days and the ones who are have trashed their bodies and can’t hit anymore.

by brainteaser on Nov 18, 2008 12:13 PM MST up reply actions

Stewart's better though, he actually saves us runs there

Where he’ll have more opportunities to make plays. Whereas in the outfield, that’s not necessarily going to be the case. Because there are fewer balls hit to the OF, Atkins isn’t likely to lose us many more runs than he already is.

It’s just not optimizing the talent that well the other way around. The only scenario I see that Atkins is the better choice at third is if Stewart could play second without giving up too many runs on defense there.

by Rox Girl on Nov 18, 2008 12:35 PM MST up reply actions

I'm not an Atkins hater

in fact, I have a 15 foot banner of him my friend got me from the LoDo playoff promotions…but they need to move him. After the Holliday deal, it makes no sense to have him around.

by Teekalong on Nov 18, 2008 2:21 PM MST up reply actions

Helton's Back?

Sounds to me like the plan would be to have Helton, Atkins, Stewart go 3,4,5 in the lineup, but that the FO is uncertain about the condition Helton’s back; so perhaps Atkins stays.

On the subject of Q, he’s the kind of middle infielder every team needs on their bench. While we have a million potential middle infielders. He seems to be the most apt at coming in for defense and has the right mindset and ego to thrive in that Jamey Carroll type role. Barmes seems to need to be in the line-up regularly and would seem the best of the tradeable possibilities from the 2b/ss position.

2011 outfield? Ganzalez in left, Young in center, and Fowler in right?

by brainteaser on Nov 18, 2008 9:25 AM MST reply actions

re: Helton's back

I think Atkins will be kept, at least into spring training to gauge Helton’s recovery from surgery. It may make sense to have Helton spend some time in extended ST so that he can get some extra ABs in the warm Arizona sun rather than the random April blizzard at Coors or other chilly spring climates. That would keep Atkins bat in the lineup and Stewart at 3rd to begin the season and give Atkins a shot at a good start to the season and maybe increasing his trade value come June.

by Fos on Nov 18, 2008 9:33 AM MST up reply actions

re: 2011 outfield

Gonzalez seems slated for right because he has the best arm, Fowler would be in center, left remains a bit of a mystery. I don’t think EY2 profiles for nearly enough offense for the position, I think the safest pick for the 2011 starter from players currently in the system still would be Seth Smith. Chris Nelson might be a candidate from the farm if he can rebound. Hector Gomez, Charlie Blackmon and Darin Holcomb seem somewhat viable as well, and we have a host of sleepers who haven’t done much in the performance department but have the tools.

by Rox Girl on Nov 18, 2008 9:47 AM MST up reply actions

Lead off hitter

Whether or not EY plays second or cf, they have to find a way to get his wheels in the line-up. Wimberly has the speed as well, but I think EY has better plate discipline. I can see him getting to the majors as a call up, playing some second and some outfield. I think he sticks in the ourfiled because of his amazing speed and that second base is a bigger offensive position in the NL right now than centerfield.

by brainteaser on Nov 18, 2008 10:02 AM MST reply actions

I like him at second still...

But I could see the benefit of giving him more play at as many positions as possible to maximize his opportunity for PA’s. Still, they only have through March to give hm the cram course as I really think the Rockies would get the most benefit if he’s on the roster from day one. He’d be a better situational bench choice than Scott Podsednik because of that better plate discipline you speak of and the fact that he’s a switch hitter. You could stick him in center against LHP’s for Gonzalez (at least until Fowler’s ready) or at second against power RHP’s for Baker.

by Rox Girl on Nov 18, 2008 10:51 AM MST up reply actions

For this year

I think the of ends up a 4 man platoon with Hawpe, Spilly, Smith, and Gonzo and Fowler in the wings working to develop more power. My guess is that Gonzo gets the least of the at bats initially but comes in late quite a bit.

Baker will probably get some of the RF playing time as well, my fear for the offense is that there is no table setter that way. I would almost guess that either Barmes or Spilly has to be that guy initially and I’m not sure how that bodes until Fowler or EY is ready.

by brainteaser on Nov 18, 2008 12:21 PM MST up reply actions

Spilborghs will be fine atop the lineup

His on base numbers will more than outweigh Taveras’ contributions on the basepaths, so that won’t hinder the club. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if Spilborghs became something like a Brad Wilkerson/Expos type leadoff hitter.

There may be a time when Colorado can employ Young as a nontraditional left fielder. It would first require that both Fowler and Gonzalez start tapping into their power potential, so that you aren’t using three traditional centerfield type bats in your outfield. If Gonzalez can blossom quickly, and Fowler can inch towards 20 homers per, then you could use Young as a Coco Crisp/Indians type left fielder. However, the Rockies aren’t to that point yet, and it may take too long to get there for Young in this franchise.

Young still has a lot to prove too. I’d be more worried about Young starting the year than Fowler. EYJ was merely good last year, Fowler was outstanding and did the who MLB prep course in September. Young may be valuable as a speed sub/ late inning leadoff, simply because he isn’t in need of physical development time and his ceiling just isn’t that high.

by David OhNo on Nov 18, 2008 7:50 PM MST up reply actions

Totally Off topic, but...

I just heard my dad broke his hip this morning. This is the second hip/pelvis break he’s had in two years…and I’m in NYC, so I can’t see him or anything. :(

by Squeaky on Nov 18, 2008 11:14 AM MST reply actions