Tuesday Rockpile: Betancourt could return, Rockies should go after Abreu

Colorado Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt says he will choose platelet-rich plasma therapy instead of Tommy John surgery.

The righty surely hopes that this move could buy him some time. When it was announced that Raffy had torn a ligament in his elbow many thought this signaled the end of his career. That still may be the case, but the longtime pro isn't going down without a fight.

The high leverage situations should be handled nicely by Rex Brothers who has shown the ability to get outs at the end of games but the this situation with Betancourt only magnifies the need for more quality depth in the bullpen.

Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post answered some questions recently, including whether or not the Rockies are "too small market" to make big flashy moves in free agency or trade. The conversation surrounding Cuban defector Jose Dariel Abreu is an interesting one.  Abreu is a power hitting first baseman who is expected to start a bidding war in the same vein as Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig before him.

I am all in favor of the Rockies spending big on bats. I think their history is pretty clear on being more careful with pitchers, and I still find it unlikely that the Rockies get involved at all due to a kind of inferiority complex they seem to display when it comes to these kinds of moves.

Another interesting question that Saunders is asked revolves around the manager position and the fact that Joe Girardi is a free agent next season. I agree with Saunders that it seems unlikely (again) that the Rockies get into that sweepstakes, but it's certainly worth a look.

In a different piece, Saunders makes a pretty good case that Michael Cuddyer has been the Rockies MVP for the 2013 season.

And finally, I found this Baseball Tonight podcast with Buster Olney thoroughly entertaining, especially considering most of it is about PEDs and Ryan Braun's terribly canned statement. One thing I'd like to add to the discussion is this; people need to stop "copping" to "making a mistake."

A mistake is when you leave your house without your car keys. A mistake is when you dial the wrong phone number or don't allow enough time for traffic on your commute. What Ryan Braun, and other PED users did, was not a mistake, it was cheating. Braun knowingly and purposefully broke the rules in order to gain an advantage.

Unless one accidentally trips and falls on a needle or unknowingly has their drink spiked regularly, unless one is completely mistaken about the rules (which seems impossible at this point) it isn't a mistake to cheat, it is a choice.

Braun's nearly 1000 word long lawyer-speak essay was calculated and distant, only a way of doing the bare minimum because he was caught. The statement should have been four short sentences.

I cheated. I lied. I'm sorry. It won't happen again.

OFF-TOPIC.