Let’s spend Dick Monfort’s money and chase World Series glory | Mile High Sports
After having the attitude of pinching pennies in the past, Dick Monfort has opened his pocketbook, trusting Jeff Bridich to spend where he sees it necessary. The Rockies have spent big this offseason, dropping $114.5 million to snag some strong pitchers as well as avoid arbitration for four big players. There doesn’t seem like much of a chance for another big contract, but the free agent market is likely to start moving again.
Casey Light outlines some plans for financial moves the Rockies could make to get to where they want to be. One plan is to let both Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu go and save all our money for offering Nolan Arenado the kind of contract that he deserves. They would have to add another starter and cross our fingers that one of the young stars will rise to the occasion. The Rockies need to start planning to fill those holes now.
Another alternative, one that I personally would find it hard to accept, would be keeping Blackmon and LeMahieu and letting Arenado go. They could use the money that they would spend on one player and snag two instead. Then they would retain two stars, potentially looking to bring back someone like Carlos Gonzalez.
One final scenario is putting all our eggs in one basket. Go for broke in 2018 and let chips fall where they may in 2019. We could spend some big bucks on another star in the offseason and put everything into this season, anticipating the loss of our stars in the new future. With Spring Training starting soon, the clock is ticking. We’ll see what Monfort is willing to let Bridich do with the remaining time till the season starts.
Scott Boras is killing the offseason | Rox Pile
There has been an incredible lack of activity going on this offseason. So many free agents have yet to be signed, and there have even been (unsubstantiated) rumors of a strike. Some are willing to say that someone to blame is agent Scott Boras. Boras represents several of the big names who remain unsigned this offseason. On this list is Greg Holland, who supposedly turned down the same offer that Wade Davis accepted with the Rockies. There don’t seem to be many teams who are willing to shell out a ton of money for players, but Boras seems to be convincing his clients to hold out for better offers. Things have overall worked out for the Rockies, who signed some people they really wanted and seem pretty content with the state of the team.
Patrick Saunders outlines the infield for us: we’ve got superstar Nolan Arenado rocking at third base. Shortstop seems quite promising with the albeit streaky Trevor Story. DJ LeMahieu certainly has second base under control. But that leaves first base. The bane of the 2018 offseason for the Rockies. There have been any number of rumors about who might fit the bill: Mark Reynolds, Ian Desmond, Eric Hosmer, etc. Ian Desmond was the initial plan, but injuries have plagued him since early last year. McMahon is another solid option for the Rockies, but he is largely untested in the major leagues, and this is not the primary position that he has played in the past. There is plenty to be excited about in the Rockies’ infield, so we can only hope that whoever fills the hole at first base will live up to the team’s current infield reputation.
What 3 new pitching metrics say about the Rockies’ rotation | Purple Row
Eric Garcia McKinley applies some different pitching statistics to the Rockies pitchers. The Power, Command, and Stamina measurements look less at numbers and statistics and more at methods and techniques. These look at actual performance over any kind of calculation. It’s an interesting way to look at things in a sport where numbers are everything. Overall, things look promising for the Rockies pitchers, especially Jon Gray, whom I cannot wait to see deliver in the new season.
Todd Frazier signs with the Mets for 2 years, $17 million | SB Nation
After several rumors about Todd Frazier possibly being a good fit for the Rockies, the Mets have swooped in and offered him a two-year deal with him likely to play third base. It’s always news when someone gets signed in this snail-like offseason, and it’s anybody’s guess who will be the next to get an offer.
Tim Lincecum to throw for MLB teams next week | MLB Trade Rumors
The elusive Tim Lincecum looks poised to try for a comeback, apparently pitching for some teams starting next Thursday. After Adam Ottavino posted some pictures of their workout, people have been wondering what will come of Lincecum, and now it looks like there might potentially be some teams interested in the 33-year-old right-hander.
The Curious Case of the Chase Field Humidor | AZ Snakepit
Chase Field boasts the second-highest altitude park after Coors Field, known similarly as a hitter-friendly park. Denver has used a humidor since 2002, and the idea has been floated around in Arizona for a while, too. This has proven to be a decent way to counteract environmental factors in Denver, and given the climate of Arizona, it might be successful there as well. It seems like the team has put this idea on the backburner, despite indicating they’ve been working on it, so we’ll see if it is ready by Opening Day.