Friends, the 2020 season is officially underway, and I have taken your concerns to heart. There has been far too much negativity for far too long. I say no more!
Prepare to be happy.
The Rockies have a new project: turning Wes Parsons into a starter.
Now before you start feeling negative about this, there are some things you should know about Wes Parsons:
- 2019 was his rookie season.
- 2019 was also his first year as a relief pitcher.
- He was signed out of the Northwoods League, which has enjoyable team names such as the Rochester Honkers and the Green Bay Booyah.
- His first name is Arthur.
- Presumably, you could take the last train to his hometown and meet him at the station (ideally at 4:30).
Parsons was a starter in the Braves organization before they called him up to the Majors and put him in the bullpen for one game in 2018 and another 17 in 2019. He has a mid-90s fastball, along with a sinker, slider, splitter and curveball. Parsons is more comfortable as a starter, and if he can get all of his pitches working (or even three or four of them), he could be pretty effective.
This project will be an interesting one to watch as Spring Training progresses.
Ubaldo: ‘They made me feel at home’ | MLB.com
Ubaldo Jiménez was very, very good in 2010.
Ryan Rolison, future pillar of Rockies’ rotation, makes Cactus League debut | Denver Post ($)
The future is bright for 22-year-old Ryan Rolison, who made his Cactus League debut on Tuesday. Rolison spent last year in Class-A ball and will likely begin the season as a Yardgoat, but he could be a major part of the Rockies’ starting rotation as soon as next year.
Scott Oberg, Rockies’ closer-in-waiting, flashing the right stuff | Denver Post ($)
Last year, Scott Oberg stepped up to fill the O-void left by Adam Ottavino and Seunghwan Oh, and I think we can all agree that this was a success: He is very good at having a last name that starts with O.
In addition, he is also good at pitching. Over the last two years, Oberg is 14-2 with a 2.35 ERA, which is good for fifth among all Major Leaguers during that time period (minimum 100 innings). At Coors Field last year, Oberg’s ERA was almost 10 runs lower than Wade Davis’, which is impressive on a lot of levels.
There’s definitely a lot to like about Scott Oberg.
Scott Oberg.
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 31, 2019
Nails pic.twitter.com/GGHVbHs6Fx
Daniel Murphy illustrates Rockies’ belief in bounceback performances in 2020 | Denver Post ($)
Daniel Murphy was a large presence in the Rockies’ lineup for most of last season. He’s very entertaining to watch (especially if you like finger guns), and despite a finger injury early in the year that may have slowed his production, he managed to put up offensive numbers throughout the rest of the season. In addition, first base is an extremely important position, especially considering how good the Rockies’ left side is, and Murphy definitely played that position.
Bud Black is optimistic that Murphy will continue to remain in peak physical condition, and he’s sure that this year will be even better for Daniel Murphy because:
If there’s one word the encapsulates the Rockies’ expectations for 2020, it would be “bounceback.”
This is so true.
Rockies mailbag: Gaming out Nolan Arenado’s 2021, TV disputes and player aliases | The Athletic ($)
Nick Groke addresses a number of things in this mailbag. Among them:
- The 2022 season will most likely begin an exciting new era of Rockies third basemen!
- AT&T Sports Net and Altitude Sports are owned by two different (equally lovely) media companies.
- The Rockies maybe should sign good players, but potentially not sign other players.
- He really likes ellipses ...
- Tony Wolters does not participate in competitive cup-stacking tournaments under the pseudonym Dusty Gozongas, nor does David Dahl drag race pro mods under the name Monte Hellman.
This may be true, but did you know David Dahl started a bakery 15 years ago, following a 15-year stint in prison? Pretty impressive for a guy who’s only 25, right?