Rockies’ Jon Gray, saying he wasn’t healthy, vows to get bigger, stronger and better for 2019 season | The Denver Post
There was very little that went right for Colorado Rockies’ starting pitcher Jon Gray in 2018. Peripherals painted a brighter picture than bottom-line results, but even they began to desert him as the season progressed. When asked what went wrong by Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, Gray said he believed it to be a lack of health. Many noticed that Gray’s velocity was wavering, which may have been at least partially because he “was down about 20 pounds.” Gray wasn’t sure what happened to make him lose weight, but he plans to hit the weight room with frequency during the offseason to come back much stronger in 2019. It didn’t help matters one bit that Gray wasn’t at his strongest physically during his starts in 2018, but many speculate that there is a mental factor that causes him to lose his focus during “big games.”
Gray’s final start of the season came against the Washington Nationals, a game in which a win would give the Rockies a one-game lead in the National League West entering the final day of the regular season. Gray struggled, allowing five runs in only two innings. Manager Bud Black was quick to point to “bad location” rather than about Gray’s mental preparedness, but the ever-transparent Gray acknowledged that may have been a factor. “When things are shaky, I don’t know what to expect of myself,” Gray said. The hope is that putting on more muscle will allow Gray to more physically prepared to take the ball over the season-long stretch in 2019. With that should come a more prepared mentality. After conceding that 2018 was a “rough, rough year,” Gray announced that he “can’t wait to…show what I’m all about” in 2019.
BSN Rockies Podcast: Where do we go from here? | BSN Denver
In the latest episode of the BSN Rockies podcast, Drew Creasman puts a cap on the 2018 season and discusses where we go from here in 2019. What could the roster look like in the new season?
Drew also has a special “thank-you” to those of us who listen to the BSN Rockies podcast on a regular basis towards the end of the episode.
2018-19 Market Snapshot: First Base | MLB Trade Rumors
Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors lists the Rockies as the only likely contending team that “jump[s] off the page” with an opening at first base. This is, of course, assuming the team is willing to shift Ian Desmond to an outfield or utility role. The options on the free agent market are not exciting, with Steve Pearce the most intriguing name.
Much more exciting possibilities can be found on the trade market, however. Reports on Wednesday indicated that the Arizona Diamondbacks are expected to sell assets this winter, meaning Paul Goldschmidt could very well be on the trading block in the last year of his contract. Jose Abreu and Justin Smoak are the likeliest other candidates, while names like Carlos Santana and C.J. Cron could be included in more creative trades.