While expressing disappointment with the second half, Rockies owner Dick Monfort remains committed to general manager Dan O’Dowd and manager Clint Hurdle, saying Wednesday their jobs are not in jeopardy.
“We are all in this boat together. I don’t see anything that either one of those guys has done wrong,” Monfort said. “The players are the ones that have to win games. They got a little tight. It’s part of maturing. The numbers aren’t glaringly bad. They can all play defense and have pitched well. It’s just obvious that we haven’t gotten hits when we needed them most.”
O’Dowd and Hurdle received contract extensions before spring training that carry them through next season. In the second year of a youth movement, Hurdle identified playing meaningful games in September as a realistic goal. The Rockies left the all-star break with a 44-43 record, just four games back in the National League West race.
But they have suffered through a dreadful second half, winning just 19 of 52 games. Only the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have a worse record during that span.
“I would like to see us narrow that gap quite a bit and get close to .500,” Monfort said. “We clearly need to get more big hits, we need that momentum going into next season.”
The offense surfaced as a source of concern during the third week of the season and has become a glaring weakness because of repeated failures with runners in scoring position. The Rockies were shut out for the 11th time Wednesday, despite loading the bases with one out in the ninth inning.
“It has become a confidence thing,” Monfort said. “You don’t do it once, then it happens again, then it becomes an issue that’s in your mind all the time.”
O’Dowd and Hurdle have expressed frustration with the club’s meager attack, with O’Dowd saying the team lacks an offensive identity. The Rockies rank 22nd in runs, 22nd with runners in scoring position and 26th in home runs.
“We haven’t done enough to win more ballgames,” Hurdle said. “We started working the games. That’s a learning experience that should pay dividends when we get to that spot again next year. They will know what not to do.”
After watching the Rockies creep toward their eighth losing season in nine years, fans are growing impatient. They want to know if the $45 million payroll will receive a significant bump, with others suggesting the team trade Todd Helton to fill multiple needs.
Monfort said the club is going through its budget process, and will finalize a payroll figure after the organizational meetings in two weeks. The payroll will go up, he indicated, from the salary increases alone for Matt Holliday, Brian Fuentes, Jason Jennings and Aaron Cook.
Center field must be addressed, with that position the most logical to attack through trade or free agency.
“I think we would tend to lean toward a veteran player if one is available,” Monfort said. “We don’t want to do any real long-term deals with (prospect) Dexter Fowler (in the system). We would be looking at a two-year deal, with a three-year deal max.”
Monfort believes Helton will rebound. The idea of moving him, he said, has not even been considered.
“No, we aren’t thinking of doing that. I think Todd will probably spend his entire career here,” Monfort said. “I am not sure that people understand that he makes a lot of money and most people in the game are just not going to give up young talent for big salaries anymore.”
