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Rockies manager Walt Weiss will be assuming a greater role in terms of team operations and roster construction, according to what he has told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.
Ryan Hammon over at Rockies Zingers has an excellent breakdown of the Rockies bullpen as it currently stands and also the method and theory behind how they are building it for the future. I found this segment of thought particularly enlightening:
But the Royals bullpen was simultaneously an example of the both the importance of a good bullpen, and the futility of chasing one.
This is a random pursuit folks. And if it's going to be random no matter how you approach it, you might as well spend less in the process (and use the money elsewhere, of course!). Diaz and House fit perfectly in that mold. Testing cost-controlled failed starters — Christian Friedrich, Yohan Flande, and so on — makes good sense too. All relievers are failed starters, after all; some just give up earlier in their careers than others.
Lev Cohen at Roxpile fears that the offseason will come and go without the Rockies having made any significant moves. We agree that there is still plenty of time for more to be done, but I would also add that if the Rockies plan is to blow up and rebuild, it doesn't make any sense to do that until next season's trade deadline. If the team's goal is to compete next season without mortgaging the years beyond, it really doesn't make sense to go after the big fish until they know what they have with their younger talent, most especially Jon Gray, Eddie Butler, Tyler Anderson, and Kyle Freeland.
I know waiting can be both boring and anxiety-inducing at the same time, but the Rockies' only goal should be improving the team and not in assuaging an overly concerned fan base. It is not their job to make the offseason fun, or to make big, splashy moves in order to prove that they are "trying." Patience and wisdom often go hand in hand.