FanPost

Purple Row Alternative History Wish List Fanpost


Sure, asking the Rockies to blow the whole thing up sans Arenado when they made the Tulo trade would be the easiest answer (and it sure looks like I would have sold low on Chuck Nazty) but that's not interesting. We know the answer is the Rockies turn into an 111 win dynasty if that's the route they take, because that's what I wanted them to do.

What I would rather look at is the scenario where the Rockies draft Clayton Kershaw instead of Ev- oh right we drafted Greg Reynolds instead of Evan Longoria. Drafting Longoria would also be an easy answer, but again, not at all interesting. We've done that plenty of times.

Let's get the obvious out of the way. The Rockies draft Clayton Kershaw. Colorado is in the midst of their sixth straight losing season at the time of this draft and they still call Coors Field home. The Rockies do not sign Clayton Kershaw. Clayton Kershaw fulfills his commitment at Texas A&M.

This changes the draft results, slightly. Greg Reynolds doesn't fall far, landing at #5 and going to Seattle in place of Brandon Morrow. Reynolds' career ends up exactly the same, because the Mariners are so comically bad at drafting they've selected more 20 WAR players for the Orioles than they have for themselves since 1994.


The Dodgers instead go with this Max Scherzer kid out of Mizzou. Ugh. Fortunately, the same issues that plague Kershaw (the team just NOT QUITE being good enough to win the WS) are still there for Scherzer and he's the guy who is the face of these 100 win teams and no world series titles.


The Giants stick with Tim Lincecum because they have a fairy and a horseshoe and a rabbit's foot in their gluteal crevice all at the same time.

The Diamondbacks are not able to eventually trade Max Scherzer for Ian Kennedy. How is the NL West so bad at this game?

As for Kershaw, he's available to be selected in the 2009 draft after a dominant three year college stint with the Aggies. Washington still goes with Strasburg at #1, leaving Seattle an agonizing choice between Kershaw and Ackley that they of course get wrong, because the Mariners are so atrociously bad at drafting they've selected more 10 win catchers for the Red Sox in the first round than for themselves since 1994.

Kershaw falls to San Diego at 3, quite a prize after the Padres' almost-great 2007 season. By this point, however, the Padres have returned to being the Padres. Kershaw puts up some terrific years, finally spinning the team's first no hitter (against the Mets), but the team can't afford his big payday. The Dodgers are looking for an arm to pair with Scherzer in their rotation, sure, but the Padres want no part of that and trade Kershaw to an AL team for a haul that never really pans out.

The Rockies screwed up one pick, and it might have changed the fortunes of every team in the NL West - like, what if the Dodgers draft Lincecum and leave the Giants with Scherzer? Does he benefit from that gimmick park the same way Lincecum does?


We're not quite done though!

By not drafting Greg Reynolds and instead getting nothing, the Rockies actually end up better in 2008 than they otherwise would have been. This extra win or two takes Tyler Matzek off the board when they draft, and they go with some guy named Alex White. When it comes time for the Ubaldo trade down the line, the Indians have to come up with a different second piece in order to acquire him. Maybe the Rockies stop asking for Joe Gardner and get Jason Kipnis. Alex White, of course, remains a total nothingburger.

But if they get Jason Kipnis at Coors Field, there's no need to make the eventual DJ LeMahieu trade. How deep does this rabbit hole go?


I don't know, but the eventual series of moves somehow leads to the Rockies actually deciding to blow the whole thing up at the time of the Tulo trade. They take solace in that they will never be as bad at drafting as the Mariners.

Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).