Oberg overcomes odds to be a force out of ‘pen | Rockies.com
Colorado Rockies’ relief pitcher Scott Oberg has faced plenty of adversity in his trek toward becoming a Major League player. From Tommy John Surgery to blood clots to arthritis, injuries are perhaps one reason why it took Oberg until his age-28 season to break out as a relief pitcher. As Thomas Harding of MLB.com writes, Oberg still keeps his cane (which he used to get out of bed during his time dealing with psoriatic arthritis in college) as a reminder.
How Colorado can construct their lineup to compete for the NL West crown | BSN Denver ($)
Drew Creasman of BSN Denver breaks down several lineups that Manager Bud Black could potentially roll out during the 2019 season. If Black wants to stick to the status quo, Charlie Blackmon would lead off once again, with Daniel Murphy’s propensity for contact taking over DJ LeMahieu’s slot as the second man in the order. After Nolan Arenado batting third, David Dahl could bat cleanup against right-handed pitching, while Trevor Story bats fourth against southpaws. There are a wide variety of options available to Black, with multiple opportunities for Blackmon, Dahl, Ian Desmond and Raimel Tapia to play center field under given circumstances.
When could Brendan Rodgers join the Colorado Rockies? | Rox Pile
Kevin Henry of Rox Pile notes that, barring an injury situation, it will probably take until after the All-Star Break for Rockies’ top prospect Brendan Rodgers to make his Major League debut. With Rodgers’ struggles at Triple-A to end 2018 and Ryan McMahon and Garrett Hampson already garnering big league experience, the chance of Rodgers making the Opening Day roster are slim to none.
One goal for each MLB team heading into 2019 Opening Day | MLB Daily Dish
Wayne Cavadi of MLB Daily Dish runs down one goal for all 30 teams prior to Opening Day. For the Rockies, Cavadi says that it’s time to ride the wave of talented, young starting pitching and win the National League West.
Rosenthal: The slow market for Harper and Machado is another sign that baseball’s current system is broken | The Athletic ($)
Players like LeMahieu will likely wait to sign until the mega-deals for Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are dished out, writes Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The current luxury tax threshold is one of many reasons that teams are citing for not signing free agents. Rosenthal argues that this system is outdated and a reform to allow players to be paid more when they are on the right side of the aging curve (which many teams are starting to believe is much younger than 30) is becoming necessary.
This new info about Troy Tulowitzki makes you wonder about Yankees and Manny Machado | SNY
The New York Yankees were not the only team interested in Troy Tulowitzki. The Pittsburgh Pirates (led by former Rockies’ skipper Clint Hurdle) were keen on Tulowitzki being their shortstop, reports Andy Martino of SNY. The Chicago Cubs also had quite a bit of interest, while the Los Angeles Angels were interested in Tulowitzki playing third base.
With Jonathan Lucroy Signing, Yasmani Grandal Market Shrinks | FanGraphs
Catcher Yasmani Grandal could make many teams better, writes Craig Edwards of FanGraphs. Even though the Los Angeles Angels have already brought in Jonathan Lucroy, the Halos still have 10 teams ahead of them in 2019’s catcher WAR projections and Edwards primarily argues for them to bring in Grandal. Meanwhile, only five teams have lower catcher WAR projections for 2019 than the Rockies— the Tigers, Indians, Red Sox, Phillies and Rangers.
A.J. Pollock seeks a contract similar to Lorenzo Cain’s—is he worth it? | Beyond the Box Score
A.J. Pollock is reportedly seeking a contract akin to the five-year, $80 million deal that Lorenzo Cain signed with the Milwaukee Brewers last offseason. B. Ellis of Beyond the Box Score argues that Pollock’s issues with durability and Cain’s defensive dominance make the former Arizona Diamondback not worthy of the same price.