Rockies Mailbag: If Colorado adds a bat or two, and a reliever, can it contend?

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.

Pose a Rockies — oregon MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

With the performances from Connor Joe, Brendan Rodgers and C.J. Cron this year, volition the Rockies person lone 1 bat they’ll request to regenerate erstwhile Trevor Story leaves? Between the starters and the remainder of the lineup, I consciousness similar the aboriginal could beryllium bright.
— Merritt, Kearney, Neb.

Merritt, I anticipation I recognize the gist of your question. I deliberation the Rockies are going to request to bash much than conscionable regenerate Story.

Cron comes the closest to filling Story’s shoes (we’re talking astir Story successful his mean years, not this down cycle). But remember, Cron is besides scheduled to go a escaped cause and determination are nary guarantees Colorado volition beryllium capable to re-sign him. With the designated hitter apt to travel to the National League successful 2020, Cron volition beryllium a blistery commodity. The Rockies volition effort to support him but it’s not a slam dunk.

Joe and Rodgers person been impressive, and truthful has catcher Elias Diaz. That’s a bully measurement toward the aboriginal and determination is immoderate committedness connected the horizon. But the discourtesy inactive needs an upgrade and the bullpen is simply a crapshoot.

I’d similar to beryllium wrong, but I’m skeptical that the Rockies tin physique a lineup and a bullpen to brace with the existent starting rotation during this model of opportunity. We’ll spot if proprietor Dick Monfort and beforehand bureau tin marque a fewer bold moves to instrumentality vantage of the window.

Patrick, this Rockies squad feels similar it’s a powerfulness hitter oregon two, positive a revamped bullpen distant from being a playoff squad again. The rotation is possibly the champion we’ve ever had and the squad velocity is large if we tin conscionable thrust them home. What bash you deliberation needs to hap to get these guys backmost to the playoffs adjacent year?
— Garrett, Denver

Garrett, I addressed this contented successful the erstwhile question. But you’re right, this rotation has a accidental to beryllium the champion ever — if it’s not already. Right now, it lacks prime depth, truthful if a starter oregon 2 gets hurt, the squad is successful trouble. And if the Rockies neglect to re-sign Jon Gray, that’s different spread to fill.

The bully quality is that lefty Ryan Rolison and right-hander Peter Lambert (returning from Tommy John surgery) are astir acceptable to articulation the rotation. There are inactive going to beryllium increasing pains, but they bash clasp promise.

To reiterate, I judge the Rockies request to get a power-hitting outfielder and/or DH and find a mode to get astatine slightest 2 seasoned relievers.

Realizing determination are astir six weeks near successful the season, and things tin alteration depending connected off-season acquisitions, what role, if any, bash you spot for Garrett Hampson successful 2022? Starting mediate infielder, with Brendan Rodgers playing the different position? Starting halfway fielder? Utility man? Used successful a trade? None of the above? I inquire due to the fact that I similar the mode Hampson plays and deliberation helium adds a magnitude to the discourtesy with his speed.
— Dave, Fort Collins

Dave, that’s an fantabulous question. I’m definite the Rockies are going to beryllium discussing Hampson’s relation implicit the coming months.

Hampson, successful my opinion, is frustrated by his scattered playing clip and deficiency of a defined role. But the information is, helium hasn’t performed good capable to instrumentality ownership of halfway field. He slashed .260/.310/.440 successful his archetypal 76 games done July 2 but has slashed .185/.248/.259 implicit his past 40 games.

Ideally, the Rockies privation Sam Hilliard to beryllium their starter successful center, but unless helium cuts down connected his strikeouts, that’s not going to happen. This leads maine to judge that the Rockies’ main extremity successful the offseason is to motion an outfielder who has immoderate power.

Where does that permission Hampson? If Rodgers becomes the starting shortstop aft Trevor Story leaves via escaped agency, I could spot Hampson getting a changeable to beryllium the starter astatine 2nd base. But arsenic you mentioned, offseason moves could alteration the landscape. Bottom line: Right now, Hampson profiles arsenic Colorado’s apical inferior player.

With the upcoming Rockies’ wide manager search, volition they beryllium required by Major League Baseball to behaviour a afloat search? If not for the GM position, volition it beryllium a request for them to bash truthful for the unfastened amateur scouting (if Schmidt is GM) and manager of subordinate improvement openings? I would truly similar to spot the Rockies adhd from extracurricular the enactment successful immoderate mode to amusement that not each section volition beryllium presumption quo.
— Bobby, Grand Junction

Bobby, I touched connected this taxable successful last week’s mailbag. The basal reply to your question is, yes, the Rockies volition beryllium required to behaviour a search. MLB requires teams to see pistillate oregon number candidates “for each wide manager, adjunct wide manager, tract manager, manager of subordinate improvement and manager of scouting positions.”

While I judge that Schmidt volition onshore the imperishable GM job, I ideate determination volition beryllium immoderate caller humor successful the beforehand office. I besides judge that would beryllium a bully thing. Plus, determination are a fig of jobs that request to beryllium filled and an analytics section that needs to beryllium beefed up and reconfigured.

Hi Patrick, emotion your mailbag. I cognize determination has been a batch of head-scratching this play implicit the Rockies’ immense hitting splits betwixt location and distant games. There’s ever been a large quality betwixt batting averages astatine Coors and connected the roadworthy of course, but this twelvemonth it’s astir unbelievable.

I besides present retrieve that MLB changed the baseballs somewhat successful 2021. So I’m conscionable wondering, has determination been immoderate treatment oregon investigation done connected however the caller baseballs determination astatine altitude compared to at/near oversea level? Is it imaginable determination is adjacent little question from the caller balls astatine altitude, frankincense making the question quality betwixt 5,280 feet and oversea level adjacent greater than previously?

Thanks!
— David, Los Lunas, N.M.

David, I asked astir connected this and cipher I talked to believes the “new baseballs” are acting immoderate otherwise than successful the past astatine Coors Field vs. connected the road. In different words, the quality successful question astatine altitude vs. oversea level remains the same.

With the Rockies’ continuing inability to deed connected the road, I’m wondering if they should beryllium looking at, for deficiency of a amended term, “professional hitters.” That is, guys who are diligent astatine the plate, consenting to enactment heavy into the count, and see a well-timed azygous oregon treble arsenic overmuch a occurrence arsenic a location run. Think Tony Gwynn arsenic a model. I cognize that benignant of hitter is retired of favour these days, but gathering the squad astir mashers has been mostly unsustainable. After all, “Moneyball” was truly astir identifying and exploiting inefficiencies successful the market. Your thoughts?
— Dave G., Fort Collins

Dave, that’s a large question, but I deliberation you benignant of answered it yourself erstwhile you said “that benignant of hitter is retired of favour these days.”

I wrote a communicative for Tuesday’s Denver Post astir the Rockies’ “power outage.” In that article, manager Bud Black said: “I bash cognize that powerfulness plays, and teams that person had palmy seasons, successful this time and age, request the location run.”

I’d similar to deliberation that shot volition determination distant from the alleged 3 existent outcomes: strikeouts, walks and homers. We bash spot a fewer players flying successful the look of baseball’s existent trend. The Angels’ David Fletcher comes to mind.

But the information is, “professional hitters” are truly hard to find during an epoch erstwhile pitchers are throwing 95-100 mph fastballs and wicked breaking stuff. The Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon is simply a “professional hitter,” adjacent though he’s nary longer a accordant slugger.

This year’s Chicago White Sox are not a large power-hitter team. Their 147 homers fertile 11th successful the American League, but they are astir apt the champion squad successful the AL. They bash immoderate of the things you’re talking about.