Wednesday Morning Rockpile: Hard Questions Need Asked, Rockies Need Answers

and I think the answer to it is the answer behind all the other questions. This organization doesn’t know how to win.

I think part of the problem here is that the Rockies are constantly signing stupid free agents to fill holes. They have not had any significant free agents of their own who are worthy of compenstation leave the team in years. This means that they are only getting two picks in the top 100 of the draft, and need to be that much more precise with their scouting. The D-backs and Dodgers constantly have two-three type A free agents leave, which results in more picks for them in the top 50. How many times have we seen the Dodgers have 6 of the top 57 picks? More than once. It’s a catch 22 because we need to trade Fuentes for immediate help now, but if we let him go as a FA this winter, maybe we could do a better job of cherry picking the best talent in the draft. After Round 2, the draft is a crap shoot anyway and it depends on who has the best scouts (the Rockies I think have great scouts, look at the 2004 draft RoxGirl wrote about in the RMN). We need to have more choices in the top 50 and not get screwed by those teams willing to hold a key free agent and let him walk in the winter.

is that the Rockies have focused far too much on drafting safe, signable players instead of growing some cojones and going for high-risk, high-reward guys. Take the 2006 draft, when we took Reynolds with the #2 pick. Among the pitchers we passed on: Clayton Kershaw (high school pitcher, too much of a risk), Tim Lincecum (risky due to injury concerns and size), and Max Scherzer (was a Boras client and therefore not an easy sign, also injury concerns.) Not that Reynolds is a bad pitcher, and it’s too early to tell, but right now wouldn’t you trade Reynolds for any of those three straight up?

2007 typified the same approach. Again, Casey Weathers isn’t a bad pitcher, but it seems like the Rockies drafted him because he was a “safe” pick and an easy sign.

may be good, but how many of those tickets were purchased before the season began?

More than the inabilities of anybody in the organization, and question #2, I think, illustrates some of Apodaca’s inabilities to get the most out of pitchers in his charge, I think the loss of key coaching talent these last two seasons has taken a bigger toll on our fortunes this season. Florida’s pitchers were packed with talent, but unmotivated disappointments until Wiley took hold of them. Likewise, the return to form of Zack Greinke, the performances of Leo Nunez and Luke Hochevar and even to some extent Bannister and Meche should be credits to McClure. Soria seems more of a natural talent that may have come about with or without him, but you’ve got admit he’s getting a lot out of that staff.

as well. It really was significant in showing the current mind set. I’ve said the same thing, but about a month ago. It is still early, but the fact is the rockies are tied for the 2nd worst record in baseball. We need to shoot for an improved 09 campaign. And that means finding out what we have, and what we don’t have, and making moves to get better.

I don’t think we are in complete rebuilding mode, but we need to move assets this year and in the off season, that will bring back some key missing pieces.

but a true over-haul (and I think we need a complete over-haul from the GM down to the roving minor league instructors) can’t happen mid season that is true. Mid season firings work when you have a talented team, that needs a boost (see the 08 Mets). This team is too far down, and to bad to get a big boost mid season.

But I want Hurdle out so bad, that NOW works just fine for me.

We can start a “Buy Out the Monforts” fund. I’m putting down $100.