Carlos Gonzalez's career in limbo as Rockies era nears an end | Denver Post
The Rockies outfielder's struggles have been significant this year. If you've followed the Rockies at all this year you would agree that Gonzalez is not the same player we expect him to be this year. This all happened during a playoffs run and during the last year of Gonzalez's contract, likely decreasing the chances of the Rockies re-signing the 31-year old Venezuelan and putting his career in Colorado into limbo.
The Rockies and CarGo's camp had some serious discussions about an extension this offseason but weren't able to come to an agreement. It's not clear that the weight of an uncertain future has had an effect on Gonzalez, something he adamantly demands isn't the case, but a professional athlete would be hard-pressed to admit something like that, especially in the midst of a playoff run.
Right now, though, CarGo is in Colorado and wants to finish strong, both for his future and his teammates. As a leader in the clubhouse, his struggles are noticed and felt by the team, but that million-dollar smile doesn't go away and neither does the positivity. If the Rockies do make the playoffs, CarGo will have to turn his positivity into results.
Rockies will “navigate” a growing Greg Holland situation, trying to fix Colorado’s closer on the fly | Denver Post
The Rockies closer has "lost control" of his slider, leading to his struggles over the last month. The Rockies have a few theories on how that happened but nothing is definitive. In the meantime, as we have seen over the last couple of games, manager Bud Black might turn to Jake McGee to assist with closing duties. This might not be a bad thing, especially once Holland figures out his slider; with both McGee and Holland at full strength, that's a dynamite left-right finishing move. It might encourage Black to ditch the traditional closer label and use whomever is best suited to retire the opposing lineup.
Rockies look to carry momentum into homestand | MLB.com
A series win in Atlanta allowed the Rockies to finish their six-game road trip at 3-3, a huge improvement considering how poorly they have been playing on the road of late. This kicks off nine games at home against the Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Giants. The Tigers and Giants are 17 and 28 games below .500, respectively, and should serve as a boost to the Rockies in this hunt for a playoff spot. The series against the Diamondbacks is pivotal in that playoff push as Colorado sits 1.5 games behind Arizona. This is Arizona's last visit to Colorado on the year. The Rockies will travel to Arizona for a four-game set in mid-September.