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C.J. Cron was acceptable for the question with a scripted answer.
“It’s hard to accidental close now,” the Rockies’ archetypal baseman said Monday. “I think, obviously, that it’s a bully acceptable for some sides. I’ve truly enjoyed my clip present and it would beryllium bully to enactment determination for much than a year. If it works out, that would beryllium awesome. I similar it present a lot.”
The question, of course, is whether oregon not Cron volition beryllium backmost successful a Rockies azygous successful 2022, and perchance beyond that. He’ll go a escaped cause aft this play and he’s enactment up numbers that volition surely drawback the oculus of different teams. Cron, 31, entered Monday night’s crippled against Washington astatine Coors Field hitting .276 with a team-high 28 location runs, 2 abbreviated of the career-high 30 helium launched for Tampa Bay successful 2018.
The Rockies volition surely prosecute Cron and determination is simply a coagulated accidental they tin re-sign him. But determination volition beryllium hurdles to cross, including salary, magnitude of the contract, and possibly, contention from different teams.
“We are going to research it and speech to C.J. astir his involvement successful coming back. There is simply a imaginable acceptable there, for sure,” manager Bud Black said successful July.
The information the Cron went connected to triumph National League Player of the period for August enhanced his value. He deed .387 with 11 homers and a 1.291 OPS.
Cron, who missed astir of the pandemic-shortened 2020 play with Detroit due to the fact that of a genu injury, signed a insignificant league declaration with the Rockies soon earlier outpouring training. When helium made the team, his woody converted into a $1 cardinal contract. Cron, who has ne'er signed for much than 1 year, volition beryllium looking for a bigger payday. He made $6.1 cardinal with the Tigers successful 2020.
It’s hard to justice however large a declaration Cron volition command. The Rockies, for example, signed Daniel Murphy to a two-year, $24 cardinal declaration erstwhile helium was 34. Murphy responded with a .269 average, .742 OPS and 16 location runs successful 172 games.
Mark Reynolds played for the Rockies successful their 2017 playoff season, astatine property 33, for a one-year, $1.5 cardinal deal. He deed .267 with 30 location runs but the Rockies did not re-sign him and helium ended up signing a minor-league woody with Washington and ended up making $1 cardinal erstwhile helium made the team.
There are a fig of factors that volition find Cron’s future:
Home-road splits: “He’ll beryllium the archetypal to archer you that they’re beauteous drastic, and helium would similar to amended connected those,” Black said. “And that’s thing we’ve talked astir a lot.”
How drastic? At Coors Field, Cron slashed .326/.412/.670 and smacked 19 location runs. Cron’s location OPS of 1.081 ranks 4th successful the majors.
On the road, however, Cron has slashed .226/.327/.389 with 9 homers and 22 RBIs. His roadworthy OPS of .716 ranks 109th.
“For immoderate reason, the splits are what they are,” Cron said. “If we knew (why), the splits wouldn’t beryllium truthful drastic. I consciousness comfy here, astatine home, but I consciousness comfy connected the road, too. Maybe it’s conscionable the swings of the season, the ups and downs, and possibly that kicks into this.”
Cron’s glove: After the two-year catastrophe of Murphy astatine archetypal base, the Rockies desperately needed an upgrade defensively. After a rocky commencement to the season, Cron has provided that.
“The archetypal portion (of the season) was immoderate of the worst defence I person ever played,” said Cron, who committed 5 of his 10 errors by the mediate of May. “I conjecture it was rust, but I can’t truly pinpoint what it was.”
But Cron worked extensively with infield and third-base manager Stu Cole and helium got overmuch amended astir the first-base bag.
“The 2nd half, he’s been solid-average defensively, connected a scouting scale,” Black said. “I deliberation he’s made immoderate large plays. The happening that stood retired for maine is his quality to excavation the shot retired of the ungraded connected debased throws from the infield. I deliberation he’s been very, precise coagulated astatine that, and he’s saved a batch of our infielders immoderate errors successful that regard.”
Rockies’ potential. Cron, of course, would similar to play for a playoff contender. He’s heartened by the betterment the Rockies person shown arsenic the play has gone on.
“I deliberation it’s a bully motion erstwhile you play amended successful the 2nd half, particularly with the constricted acquisition that immoderate of our younger players had,” helium said. “It was bully to spot them instrumentality a measurement guardant successful the 2nd fractional and I deliberation that helped marque america much competitive.
“It’s been amusive to ticker them turn and hopefully we tin support it going these past fewer games.”
After a miserable start, the Rockies played decent baseball. They entered the last six games of the play with a 52-50 grounds since May 30.
Footnote. Black said that left-handed starter Ryan Rolison volition soon depart for the Dominican Republic and transportation the archetypal fractional of the wintertime shot play for Tigres del Licey. Colorado’s apical pitching imaginable missed overmuch of the play aft having his appendix removed and past breaking his digit during batting practice. Sam Hilliard, Brian Serven, Dom Nuñez and Chris Owings are immoderate of the different Rockies players readying to play wintertime ball.
On Deck
Nationals LHP Patrick Corbin (9-15, 5.92 ERA) astatine Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (6-8, 4.50)
6:40 p.m. Monday, Coors Field
TV: ATTRM
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Freeland has pitched good against the Nationals, going 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA successful 5 vocation starts. On Sept. 18 astatine Washington, D.C., helium pitched six scoreless innings, scattering 7 hits, striking retired 7 and walking 1 successful Colorado’s 6-0 win. Freeland has not been large astatine Coors Field, going 3-3 with a 5.26 ERA. The lefty is coming disconnected his 10th prime commencement of the season, allowing 3 runs connected 8 hits implicit six innings against the Dodgers astatine Coors Field connected Thursday. The Rockies roughed up Corbin successful D.C. connected Sept. 18, scoring six runs connected 10 hits, including 2 location runs. But the lefty is coming disconnected his champion commencement of the season, pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings against Cincinnati, allowing 4 hits and 4 walks portion striking retired seven. The lone extra-base deed helium allowed was a treble by Delino DeShields. Prior to his triumph implicit the Reds, Corbin had a 7.96 ERA and 1.92 WHIP implicit his erstwhile 5 starts.
Trending: Ryan McMahon already has a career-high 57 walks this season, with 14 of them coming successful September. His 14 walks this period are tied for the ninth-most successful the National League.
At issue: Shortstop Trevor Story entered Monday night’s crippled successful an 0-for-12 descent aft going hitless successful 3 games against San Francisco, with 5 strikeouts. He entered Monday’s crippled hitting .143 (3-for-21) connected the existent homestand.
Pitching probables
Wednesday: Nationals RHP Paolo Espino (5-5, 4.38) astatine Rockies RHP Peter Lambert (0-0, 4.91), 1:10 p.m., ATTRM
Thursday: Off
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