Saturday Rockpile: Monfort's confident, pragmatic; Marquis eager for fresh start
by Rox Girl on Jan 31, 2009 8:53 AM MST
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PrintTwo Rockies teams make Sam Adams' list of top 10 Colorado sports teams, a list that actually goes to 11 since he lumped the 1997 and 1998 Broncos together at the top. If the Rockies were to actually go on and win a World Series, I doubt they'd be able to knock off the Broncs, but given the team's perfect score in making the list just for playoff appearances, I'd figure the 2000-2001 Avs better watch their back in the two slot.
There's much to dissect in this Greeley Tribune discussion with Dick and Charlie Monfort. Let's start with the Holliday trade:
"But that deal really wasn’t about the money. We did save quite a bit of money. But we picked up a reliever we think can help us, and we picked up a starter who potentially could help us. And after next year, we weren’t going to get anything for Matt. We talked with him about contracts in the past, and he wants to try free agency. That doesn’t mean we can’t sign him in free agency, but he wants to try it. So money was a piece of the puzzle, but not a major piece."
I imagine different Rockies fans will clue in on different parts of this quote. The Monfort's-must-go crowd will focus on the admission of them saving "quite a bit of money." Some blind optimists may look at the section about possibly re-signing Matt in free agency and get their hopes up. I don't know if I see much here other than that the whole thing was a decision based on the increasing risk that "after next year, we weren't going to get anything for Matt." In other words, it was a conservative move to balance the team's talent portfolio and to shift the risk load away from one individual player.
In other Monfort news, the pair announced that they plan on expanding the Rockies discount ticket packages across Colorado's Front Range along with Nebraska and Wyoming.
Staten Islander Jason Marquis talked with his local newspaper about a fresh start in Colorado. One of the quotes that impresses me most is when he's talking about his success at Coors Field and against the NL West:
"It's a small sample size, but it's a start," said Marquis. "It's really a matter of focus and bearing down and working the lower part of the strike zone. I have to get the sinker working down to be successful."
Small sample size? That's refreshing to hear a baseball player acknowledge, and it seems Marquis has a solid understanding of the game as well as his athleticism.
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Staten Islanders are weird.
But maybe Marquis will be the good kind of weird.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
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Better than a Long Islander!
Plus, half of my neighborhood transplanted from Staten Island. Good people.
Well, I guess.
But I am a Long Islander in some sense since Queens actually is on the island.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
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Good thing
Frank Costanza wasn’t there.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
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Being from near Poughkeepsie,
I’ve always wondered if people on Long Island would like to see upstate secede, the same way we’d like to see Long Island drift down to Jersey.
Secession is illegal.
We’re nearing the sesquicentennial of that little war that answered that. But I do believe the NYC Council passes a symbolic resolution of secession from New York each year.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
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I prefer
Russell Weigley’s A Great Civil War.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
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Indiana UP
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
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Might Francis
need surgery? His agent says maybe in a few months if things don’t get better.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
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It's much better for a baseball pitcher to have surgery
in March or April then it is to have it in October…………..
(note the sarcasm)
"Suck it monkeys, the Rockies will win this year", Rox Girl 1-11-2009
Monfots
Bill Bidwell just took the Cardinals to the Superbowl, and he is generally noted as the most disorganized, cheap owner in football, if not sports. The Monforts are a step up from that, as they are willing to give out big contracts (or, they were in the past), but now they want to make sure that big money is spent wisely. Otherwise, it does appear they are willing to spread good money around to talented players. $4.5M for Huston Street is indicative of this, as is the long term deal for Tulo.
In the reality of a mid-size market and the economy over the last year, the Monforts aren’t terrible owners. However, if their thrift prevents them from firing Hurdle before their contract is up, then they are throwing a good roster down the drain.
Didn't Bidwell just OK
a nice new shiny contract for Larry Fitzgerald?
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by Andrew Martin on Feb 2, 2009 12:30 AM MST up reply actions
On the Monforts
I take everything they say with a grain of salt. Yes trading Holliday did bring back 3 players….all of which have questions and issues. Would the Rocks have been better off just keeping Holliday in 09 and taking the picks? I think so. Smith doesn’t really seem to be a good fit, Street has had issues as a closer, and Gonzales while a nice prospect is still that…a prospect with things to work on. I still think their are 2 reasons for the Holliday trade….the money, and the fact that Matt really was “short timing” it with the Rockies, and that seemed to make the “management” upset. (happening to Atkins too I think)
On the discounted ticket packages……so people in Nebraska or Wyoming couldn’t buy them before? and what packages are they talking about? The Tuesday night package (the one I have, and LOVE!) the Wednesdays (Ladies night), or the 2 “Silver Slugger” packages, that have one game for each home stand?…..Non of these packages were good for folks having to drive. If they have a new one that was Saturday or Sunday games that would be nice.
"Suck it monkeys, the Rockies will win this year", Rox Girl 1-11-2009
So
2 Draft picks do not have questions? Toronto let AJ Burnett go, with the hope that they would get back a 1st and a Sandwich Pick, and they ended up with a 3rd round pick and a Sandwich round pick in the mid 30’s. The same goes for Milwaukee who only received a 2nd rounder and a Sandwich pick for CC Sabathia. There is no guarantee that you would get a prospect with Gonzalez’s ceiling with the two draft picks you have coming back after Matt departs at the end of 2009. I agree with you that CarGon is still an unproven commodity with the bat, who needs to improve his plate discipline if he is going to have a successful MLB career, but it could happen. Even as is, he is a + Defender.
I don’t think you give Street or Smith enough credit though. Street is a proven commodity as a closer in the AL, and finished 2009 quite strong after ‘fixing his mechanics’. As Rox Girl pointed out in lizardlad01’s fanpost, Smith still has a lot of room for improvement, based on his minor league numbers and while he is a soft-tossing lefty (as you pointed out), he has not shown the flyball tendencies throughout his career that appeared last year. The one thing that I would be concerned about with Smith is the 190IP last year and how that will translate to his performance this year.
I guess the point I was trying to make is that yes having 1 year of Matt, the team knows exactly what it is going to get, but longer term – 2 draft picks (that are not guaranteed to be a 1 and a Sandwich) have as many or more questions as the package that Matt brought back from Oakland.
Right we agree...we just pick the other side of the glass
but the big difference…is I would sell out for 09 as the NL West is ripe for the picking and would have kept Matt…knowing at the worse…I get 2 draft picks, or get about the same deal at the deadline if the Rockies were out of the race. (not that any team could be too far out in the NL West this next year) Draft picks are BIG questions, and a lot further away from helping the big league club then Carlos Gonzales. Also the Rockies really, really need plus level OF prospect at the upper levels…which Gonzales brings.
I guess bottom line for me…is I’m a little under-whelmed by the return for Holliday. It all hinges to me on how Gonzales fares. If he’s a plus player as soon as 2010…then it was a good trade…if not….then I’d rather have Matt for one year & the 2 picks.
"Suck it monkeys, the Rockies will win this year", Rox Girl 1-11-2009
I think you are right in that we need to wait to judge the trade. Trade value at the deadline is so hard to gauge. The Braves found out the hard way this year that 2 months of a marquis player no longer nets the prospects that it might have a few years ago. On the flip side – I have alot of faith in Billy Beane to turn Holiday into valuable pieces to Oakland, if they are not in the hunt midseason.
Jennings trade
The Holliday trade reminds me of the Jennings trade with Houston.
Three players close to the majors who provide a mix of immediate help at positions of need (Taveras and Street/Smith) and long term or upside potential (Bucky and CarGon). This was a better package but Holliday had a LOT more value than Jennings did as well (which is why the Jennings trade was a steal from day 1 and this trade is acceptable but the final verdict is still out on it).
In my opinion the Rockies will field a stronger ‘1st team’ this year than they would have had they kept Holliday and they will also have far greater depth than they would have had they kept Holliday. Like the Jennings trade no single player equals the value that the departing player had to the team but the sum of the players involved will result in an improved Rockies team this year due to the trade.
We got Hirsh in that deal too, don't forget that.
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by Andrew Martin on Feb 2, 2009 12:31 AM MST up reply actions
Holliday might sign with the Rockies as a free agent in 010?
“So you’re saying there’s a chance!!”
What’s the chances of this happening if the Monforts clear payroll such as a combination of an Atkins trade, Helton retirement and underwhelming offers for Matty?
Keepin' warm by the hot stove season.
Seems
That after this year a 30 year old slugging corner OF on the FA market is a luxury that the Rockies may not need/be able to afford a year from now. Clearing the Atkins/Helton payroll would lead the way for a little more spending in 2010; but I have a feeling that Matt will still get his money, as he’ll be one of , if not the best option available on the FA market next winter – much like the top FA’s saw this year.
I'm not 'really' that excited about the possibility...
Just ate a lot of bacon for breakfast, and it made me giddy.
Keepin' warm by the hot stove season.
Nah, I still have him slated for the Mets.
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by Andrew Martin on Feb 2, 2009 12:31 AM MST up reply actions
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