Pen Depth
I'm pleased to report via Baseball America that the Colorado Springs Sky Sox have signed 28-year-old right-hand relief pitcher Scott Munter to a minor league contract. Details are currently unknown on the deal.
Munter broke into the big show with Frisco in 2005 and had an impressive rookie year, but his career has been in a steady decline since. The former 47th round pick got a Spring Training invite from the Rays in 2008 and started the season in AAA Durham. After his move from California to the East Coast, Munter struggled mightily, was released, and was resigned by the Giants. He finished the season pitching well in AAA Fresno but did not receive a call-up in September.
For Munter to open 2009 in the Rockies bullpen, an epic epidemic would be required to deplete the projected pen. Still, it's a no risk signing should said epidemic occur. Munter possesses a decent sinker, which Felipe Alou once described as a "bowling ball" sinker - that should theoretically give him a chance to survive in the altitude of Denver...err...Colorado Springs. He has appeared in 9 games at Coors Field, earning a 7.26 ERA.
The Stewart Situation
Thomas Harding touches on the hot button topic offensively for the Rockies - where can Ian Stewart play? With Todd Helton seemingly healthy and Garrett Atkins still on the roster, Stewart would be forced to left field or second base to be a full time starter. Harding offers no conjecture on what to expect. He simply offers optimism that Stewart can handle the position change, whatever that may be.
CarGo Street
Mychael Urban, the Athletic version of Thomas Harding, dropped by the Athletic version of Purple Row (that being Athletics Nation) to answer a few fan questions, a couple relevant to Rockie fans. Urban thinks very highly of Huston Street, expecting a bounceback year for the young right-hander as a closer:
I fully expect Huston to have a nice year with the Rockies...By September (2008), Huston was 100 percent healthy...and the results -- 1.74 ERA in nine appearances -- lead me to believe that as long as he stays healthy, he'll win Colorado's closer job and do very well. He's only 25 years old, he's an exceptionally bright young man, and I think his best work is actually ahead of him.
I personally agree with all of Urban's points, except Street certainly must to do more in Tuscon than just maintain his health to get the closer job... Urban also loves Carlos Gonzalez, yet pinpoints three reasons Billy Beane let him get away:
The A's couldn't have gotten Holliday without giving up Gonzalez, whose talent is undeniable. If he reaches that potential, he's going to be a ridiculously good player...The [A's] really ... have a lot of good young outfielders, so it was truly dealing from an organizational strength...He's one of those players who makes everything look so easy at times, it almost looks like he's not going all-out. Fair or not, those types of players sometimes get labeled as lazy, selfish or uncoachable....Remember Carlos Pena?
In the same breath that Urban releases his worst criticism of the young outfielder, he also compares him to a Gold Glove power hitter that finished one point behind Alex Rodriguez in the AL MVP voting who played on a pennant winning team. CarGon is an exceedingly intriguing case, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Baylor does working with the kid.
FSN Honors Fogg Signing
Fox Sports Net featured Josh Fogg's career-best start in their Hometown Classics series Monday evening - this just three days after Fogg re-signed with Colorado On June 30, 2006, Fogg hurled a complete game shutout, yielding only 2 hits and facing the minimum of 27 hitters.