Saturday Rockpile: slim pickings...for news

Good morning Rockies fans. Hopefully you all had a Merry Christmas and are preparing for the New Year and a hopeful 2015 for the Colorado Rockies.  I am adding as much as I can to the introduction since there is not much news to write about, and I have to make sure and get to the requisite word count for this Saturday article.

10 things to watch in MLB heading into 2015 - mlb.com

I put this article first because I always have appreciated Tracy Ringolsby's articles, and he always seems to throw something in about the Rockies now that he is not writing about them exclusively.  Jhoulys Chacin's health and preparation for the season will determine a lot about this team and the direction it needs to go during the offseason, as Mr. Ringolsby states.  He does a great job at boiling down a big issue like this into a succinct paragraph.  Oh yeah, he also talks about nine other teams.

Bernadina set to join Rockies on minor league deal - mlb.com

Not sure if this was put in a previous Rockpile, but Roger Bernadina, he of the .167 average in 56 games last year, is reportedly joining the Rockies on a minor league deal.

MLB average salary exceeds $3.8 million - denverpost.com

This is a standard once-a-year look at MLB salaries.  Hard to feel real sorry for players that make it to the show if this is the average.  Compare that to what players like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays made and it would probably shock you (even after adjusting for inflation).

Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to return to Japan - denverpost.com

After seven years in MLB, mostly with the Dodgers but the last couple with the Yankees, Hiroki Kuroda is returning to his Japanese major league team as a free agent.  At the age of 40, Kuroda can make comparable money and be closer to home and family with this move.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday break Rockies fans, the new year will hopefully bring new news and players for your favorite purple team.