Jeff Francis' decision to have shoulder surgery seems to be having a greater impact outside the Rockies blogosphere than it is within it, as it seems most well informed Rockies fans saw this as somewhat inevitable. There hasn't been the same sort of pronouncement of doom here among Rockies bloggers that you see at places like SI's Spring Training Preview, either. It seems most of us are aware that the pitching depth of the team gets hit by Francis' loss, but it's not a mortal wound that we can't work around with just a little bit of good news in prospect development.

Bugs and Cranks points out the depth of starters even without Francis.

Tight Ends and Hot Rox lament Jeffy, but nobody's panicking.

Inside the Humidor and Rockies Examiner question the timing of this, and I kind of wonder myself given that it seemed pretty clear last season that something wasn't right. No use crying over spilt milk now, however. Next time, though, Rockies don't wait so long.

A "new" old Rockies blog has come to my attention by reading the comments at Thomas Harding's blog this week, and by the fact that I've made Purple Row a subscriber to this blogger's YouTube channel, but to help make up for my neglect of not giving any prior attention at all to Rockpile Rant, can we please have some Rowbots find him some wacky RV pictures to not be his mobile blog unit as he dispatches from Tucson?

Anthony Masterson at Bleacher Report has decided to take it upon himself to make his own soundtrack for Rockies players, I think I might have to copy this idea later this year when I run out of things to write about.