It has been a quiet offseason in Denver. The Rockies have made a few depth acquisitions, primarily on the pitching staff. They re-signed José Ureña to a $3.5MM deal and brought in reliever Pierce Johnson on a $5MM contract. Brent Suter, Connor Seabold and Nick Mears were added via minor trade or waiver claims. The most significant move of the offseason was the surprising acquisition of young left-handed power hitter Nolan Jones for infield prospect Juan Brito back in November.
Despite their lack of free agent activity, it seems the club is mostly content to carry the roster as it stands into Spring Training. General manager Bill Schmidt told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post this afternoon the group was mostly set (Twitter link). Schmidt added the club would continue to explore potential pitching acquisitions and ways to bolster the depth more broadly, but it seems any further moves will be fairly minor.
That might be disheartening for the Colorado fanbase with the club coming off a 68-94 season, though it wasn’t unforeseeable. Last offseason’s Kris Bryant deal and the club’s series of recent extensions for players like Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland, Ryan McMahon and Elias Díaz added significant money to the payroll. Colorado entered the offseason with a player payroll at franchise-record levels after accounting for the additional $21MM they”ll owe the Cardinals as part of the Nolan Arenado trade.
With that financial situation, it’s not too surprising the organization mostly sat out free agency. The Rox showed some interest in adding to the starting five and/or bringing in a lefty-hitting outfielder (particularly a center fielder) but seemed eventually priced out of both markets. Perhaps the front office will eventually add a depth arm for the back of the rotation — particularly with Senzatela starting the season on the injured list after tearing his ACL late last summer — but the notable outfield pickup no longer seems to be in the cards.
At the same time, the franchise has again steadfastly refused to entertain any kind of rebuild. For the past few years, Colorado ownership and the front office have maintained faith they have the nucleus of a viable contender and have shown no interest in tearing things down. Reports last month suggested the Rockies were in touch with the Marlins about potentially swapping out second baseman Brendan Rodgers for an immediate MLB starter in Edward Cabrera. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported last night that Colorado eventually backed away from that framework.
Without any kind of notable overhaul, it’s difficult to imagine the Rockies finishing any higher than fourth in the NL West during the upcoming season. Colorado has seen some positive developments in the farm system though. The Rockies had four players place on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects this week. Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar got a cup of coffee in the majors last fall and looks likely to be the primary shortstop this year. Outfielder Zac Veen, catcher Drew Romo and middle infielder Adael Amador are each further away but could at least be in the mix in the upper minors.
Replace that with Texas and that sounds right. I love what they did, but it seems irrational to go all out on free agency and only trade players for cash except for Odorizzi. There is this thing called scoring runs. You need to do it to win. I would love Bryant and half his salary for Duran, Smith, and maybe Hauver/Otto. Maybe a reliver can be thrown in.
In my opinion, what is needed is more of a herd-thinning maneuver. They have too many corner infielders. I know depth is important, but when you have four starting quality (or high quality prospect) corner infielders (Cron, Toglia, Montero, McMahon) and only two spots, there is a problem. They need to either trade the prospects for depth elsewhere or trade the vets and let the young guys play full time. This part time strategy doesn’t work. The Rockies have tried that with prospects in the past and it always fails.
I doubt think Cron can net a top prospect, so I am ok with them playing whoever is best.
Obviously, the Bryant deal was bad. Bryant is not worth what he is getting as a 3B and he is worth even less as a corner outfielder especially in left. But not much to do about it unless he gets really hot and even then it’ll only help their game outcomes cause no one is taking that contract unless Rockies pay half the salary maybe even 60%.
The Rockies could finish 3rd, 4th or 5th. The Dbacks will be ready to complete with the Dodgers and Padres in a couple years, the Giants and Rockies well it seems unlikely. Kudos to the Giants for three recent flags. I actually rate the Rockies FO in the 22-26 range. The Bryant decision was awful but maybe Bryant will outperform Story. They need a better Latin American pipeline and their strategy to try to be a 0.500 team will never persuade most posters when the Padres and Dodgers are so jacked.
Most incompetent ownership and FO in baseball.
People keep going to the games so I imagine they don’t see a need to spend more money or start hiring staff that are good at their jobs.
It’s not even about needing to spend more money, it’s spending smarter.
Against the Padres, Dodgers, and Giants? Rockies either need to spend more or adopt a radical “underdog” model like the Rays or A’s.
Rockies might be better than Giants in 2023.
Lol um how about the Angles.
Not quite as obtuse.
No way!
I am utterly shocked
In what universe does Pierce Johnson warrant 5 Millon dollar contract? Talk about overpaying. Does he have dirt on the owner?
Classic Rockies
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what…”
How does Ureña get a guaranteed contract? He it’s terrible. He can’t strike anyone out, has terrible control, and doesn’t limit HR.
Any minor leaguer could have a 1.5 whip while walking as many as he strikes out. Literally, any AAA starter could produce the same or better for league minimum. And it’s not like Ureña is boom or bust like some starters, he’s just a pile a dog dump all the time.
If you remove 2-3 bad starts, he was excellent for the Rockies since they acquired him. I don’t know any Rockies fans that were surprised we resigned him.
I understood the Urena and Johnson signings but was their competition willing to pay more than half what they got? Just like KB, at half the cost, the signing was ok. With pitchers I see the reluctance to join, with batters not so much.
not anticipating anything. Okayyyyyy
The good news, it’s the 2nd year of the Kris Bryant contract. Only 6 years left!
Only 6 years left!
========================
Only two years left.
In 2025, Bryant will be playing LF for the RS, along with the requisite $51M check.
Imagine paying another team $21M for that guy to put up 7.9 bWAR for that team. Way to go.
Then imagine you spent all your savings for KB to play corner OF
Same thoughts exactly
Unbelievable how the Rockies let the Cardinals hose them in that deal!
The team and Arenado had issues. But the Rockies never should have included cash. Better to have shipped him out for lesser prospects but include no cash and if no takers than you tell Nolan sorry we tried.
After signing him to an extension just a year prior.
Nolan wanted out and would have opted out. Rockies ate salary to get prospects back. Don’t know if that was a Cardinals demand or not, but Rockies did get something back.
They could’ve tagged him, gotten a single prospect back that would be better than the prospects they got, and spent the $51M on a FA.
They should’ve traded him rather than pay him, along with Story & Gray.
I can’t say I’ve heard it called “tagged” for salary in baseball before, but a QO does have its similarities. The players aren’t guaranteed that paycheck, though, as some of Boras’s clients have found out. Colorado would’ve had to know he would definitely opt out before taking that chance since his offensive numbers at the time clearly showed his best hitting was a product of Coors Field. They probably figured he would and they guessed they could bring back better prospects with paying down the contract.
This is the year that we see if Montero was worth all that cash because Gomber was not. Would have been better just to let Arenado opt out.
Would not be surprised if Rockies finish third ahead of Giants and Dbacks but the Dbacks are the only one of those three teams that have a strong group of young players that might challenge the Dodgers and Padres in a couple years.
Imagine in 2025:
C Moreno
SS Lawlar
OF Carroll, Jones, Thomas, McCarthy
It takes an amazingly incompetent front office and ownership to spend about $163 million for a probable last place team with no real direction or plan. With other teams like the Pirates or A’s it’s obvious that the owners are just pocketing $$. With the Rockies, no one knows what they’re doing.
Increase the dollar amount, and swap rockies with red sox, and yep, you’ve got another fan base that feels your pain
Except the Sox have had recent World Series titles
The main difference between the Rox and the Pirates is that the Colorado owners set money on fire and finish last while Nutting finishes last while lining his pockets.
Unlike Pittsburg or Oakland, they’re actually selling tickets in Denver. Rockies just don’t believe in rebuilding, not hard to figure out. At least they stopped blocking their prospects.
You know, even if you thought that, it’s not a good idea to say that to the fan base.
Like last year and the year before, this team is loaded for a pennant winner. The pitching, hitting and base stealing are the best. I cant wait for another exciting season.
Hey, the COL PR bot got in here somehow! Please prove you’re real by clicking on the pics that show traffic lights……..
“payroll at franchise-record levels after accounting for the additional $21MM they”ll owe the Cardinals as part of the Nolan Arenado trade.”
Yup, that’s my club…………..anyone want to help a drowning fan.
Sorry, I virtually never agree with anything the Rockies do. And I can discuss the pros and cons of 29 other teams. Even worse, some of my all-time least favored moves, like Hampton, Desmond, Parra, Arenado, are all Rockie moves,
Sorry dude.
Rogers, Tovar, Veen,Benny, Toglia.
I agree with you on the Arenado trade and signing Desmond and Bryant. I don’t mind the strategy of spending to be average but the execution has failed in the biggest money deals.
Cron and Grichuk were low money deals and will get KB results, or better.
The rockies are looking like a 100 loss club.
Be that as it may, the FO has always and will forever say, “We like our players. We feel confident in the team we have assembled.” Results be damned!
“No significant moves” just before they sign Harold Castro. Either that was an unnecessary deke move, or we can debate whether or not signing Castro could be considered a “significant move”.
The Rockies don’t need to make any additional moves because after the rancid stench the Broncos caused, the current Rockies team will seem like a breath of fresh air to Colorado sports fans.
Meanwhile Nuggets have won 9 straight and, I believe, 19 of their last 22.